The 10th day of Top 14 began with a rather incredible feat. Traveling to Bordeaux during an exceptionally scheduled advanced match on Friday evening, Pau created a sensation at the Chaban-Delmas stadium by winning on the UBB pitch (34-33) while the Girondins were undefeated at home since the start of the season (four victories in four matches). Bordeaux-Bègles, which remained on three successes, was nevertheless in great form before welcoming the Palois who had just won in pain (27-23) against Perpignan and had only won once on the road, at Castres (17-15) during the first day.
This second away success – and what a success! – is however well deserved for this Section, notably rewarded for its perfect start to the match, with a try between the posts from Kolashvili at the conclusion of his team’s first sequence from the… 1st minute. UBB was quick to react, and six minutes later, a converted try from Cameron Woki, one of the players released at the start of the week by Fabien Galthié, put the two teams back on level terms.
While Pau had regained control on a penalty, Yannick Bru’s players, with Matthieu Jalibert returning from injury and immediately starting, reacted again and took the lead for the first time in this game on a second try, this time signed by Gaëtan Barlot.
UBB didn’t give up but Pau held on
The two teams kept going blow for blow. And after a new penalty passed by the Béarnais, the Girondins found the fault again, for the third time of the evening, thanks to Marco Gazzotti. But it was said that Pau would not let itself be trodden on against the European champions and Arfeuil, magnificently served by Desperes, gave the visitors a four-point lead just before the break (23-19).
Returning from the locker room, Pau got off to a flying start again and a try from Facundo Isa allowed his team to further increase its lead, before a new reaction from UBB and Romain Buros, author of his team’s 4th try three minutes after Isa’s try to start this second half just as exciting as the first. After a new penalty, the Section thought it would no longer have any problems, but the UBB, even trailing by eight points, did not give up and came back to one point ten minutes from the end, on a try from Pablo Uberti.
The Girondins, however hampered by their indiscipline as well as their inaccuracies in touch, then pushed until the end to try not to suffer this first setback at home, but Pau held on and retained this point of lead, synonymous with a major feat and provisional first place in the ranking (pending the rest of the matches). What a great evening for Sébastien Piqueronies and his players!
