By TOM JEFFREYS
Bordeaux-Begles……………….55
Tries: Bielle-Biarrey 8, 80+1; Buros 12, Lamothe 21, Penaud 35, 57; Depoortere 44, Jalibert 52, Uberti 78
Conversions: Jalibert 9, 13, 79; Lucu 53, 58
Saracens…………………………….15
Tries: Tompkins 62, Dan 63
Conversions: Farrell 62
Penalties: Farrell 4
Bordeaux put on a counter-attacking show to hammer Saracens and leave the Londoners’ qualification hopes in jeopardy.
Travelling to Stade Chaban-Delmas where Bordeaux are unbeaten since March, a full-strength Saracens were no match to a side headed brilliantly by Matthieu Jalibert.
It felt as though none of Saracens’ numerous errors went unpunished, as an imperious defence was a facilitator to a breath-taking and merciless attack for Bordeaux.
Eight of Bordeaux’s nine tries came directly from turned over possession and another from a clinical lineout, with their superstars Damian Penaud (x2), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (x2) and Jalibert all featuring on the scoresheet.
The scoreline in fact flatters the visitors, who claimed their two tries in as many minutes through Nick Tompkins and Theo Dan against a side transferring to exhibition mode.
An early Owen Farrell penalty was the only mark made by a Saracens team that were ultimately passengers in the first half. Ben Earl spilled the following kick off and from there, it was all Bordeaux.
They took a 7-3 lead courtesy of a trademark Louis Bielle-Biarrey try after the 20-year-old stepped the covering Ivan Van Zyl in the space of a phone box.
Capitalising on a second Farrell error in the midfield, Bordeaux counter-attacked over the gainline, allowing Matthieu Jalibert to attack the line and throw an inside pass to the on-rushing fullback Romain Buros who cantered under the sticks.
Buros’ try was Bordeaux at their ruthless best, but their third was more summative of a frustrating half for Saracens. An uninspired kick to compete saw Sean Maitland concede a penalty, Saracens then worked hard to turn over Bordeaux’s consequent attack before being pegged back by Elliot Daly straying offside, which then allowed hooker Maxime Lamothe to stroll over from the back of a maul.
The hosts were 19-3 up and all tries had been conceded from needless concession of field position by their visitors.
Bordeaux’s bonus point and guaranteed qualification for the knockouts was sealed in just the 35th when a troublesome Maxime Lucu kick was spilled by Alex Goode. Jalibert immediately looked to attack, scithing through the line before his entourage arrived to give Damian Penaud his 19th try of the season.
To add insult to injury, the half-time whistle was prompted by the hosts’ holding up of the 130kg Logovi’i Mulipola to keep the score at 24-3 at the break.
Saracens’ error-strewn misery continued in the second half. A missed touch kick, poor pass and overthrown lineout gifted Bordeaux a spacious attack which Nicolas Depoortère gratefully capitalised on to make it 29-3.
Preventing Saracens from claiming a foothold in the game, Bordeaux repeated their formula of turnover, work the ball wide, and score. This time Jalibert was the beneficiary, sauntering over after Penaud had breezed past Maitland to create the two-on-one.
Their next try, this to make it 43-3, was a variation of the formula, with Penaud intercepting Daly and coasting to the line from 60 metres out.
A bizarre passage of play then allowed Saracens to reclaim some dignity. Nick Tompkins scored their first, slicing through some uninterested defence, before Theo Dan scooped up a loose ball and raced clear of Jalibert to dot down in the corner.
The homeside were undeterred, however, and transitioned into globetrotters mode, launching attacks from behind their own line. Profit, however, continued to be most abundant on the counter.
Their penultimate effort came from loosehead Ugo Boniface’s charge down of a Farrell dink in his own 22; the prop hacked clear and Pablo Uberti won the race to touch down.
In the final phase of play, Billy Vunipola was brutally dispossessed and with a sense of inevitability Bordeaux broke down the right flank. The home side were queueing up but Bielle-Bierrey was the first in line, dotting down his second and Bordeaux’s ninth to make the final score 55-15 in front of a raucous home crowd.
It’s a fifth loss in seven for Saracens, and a record defeat in the competition amidst a period of drama off the pitch.
Bordeaux: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu (capt); Poirot, Lamothe, Tameifuna, Petti, Coleman, Bochaton, Gazzotti, Samu.
Replacements: Latterrade, Boniface, Sadie, Douglas, Diaby, Miquel, Abadie, Uberti.
Saracens: Goode; Lewington, Daly, Tompkins, Maitland, Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mulipola, Dan, Judge, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Christie, Earl.
Replacements: Hadfield, Crean, Clarey, B Vunipola, Gonzalez, Simpson, Hartley, Segun.
Referee: Chris Busby (Ire)
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