Gloucester get the five points but worry over injuries
However, the game may be costly for the Cherry and Whites as they had to see captain Jim Hamilton, Tim Taylor and Mike Tindall go off with injuries in the second half.
It wasn’t the most dominant of wins but the Cherry and Whites are taking a seven-match undefeated streak into their crucial clash against Leicester as the Premiership resumes next week.
Despite the score, Gloucester didn’t control the game well and the result could have been if Bordeaux had been awarded a penalty try early in the game when down 10-0 when winger Thierry Brana was clearly tackled off the ball by Jimmy Cowan.
It could have brought them back into the game but instead they conceded a third try soon after and the game was eventually over.
The French enjoyed most of the possession but never managed to put the Cherry and Whites on the back foot and cross the white line.
Gloucester were very clinical in the first half to collect the bonus point but struggled to put their game in place for most of the game.
The main satisfaction for Nigel Davies will be the defence and the set pieces though. Led by Fijian Akapusi Qera, Gloucester outmuscled the French all game to keep them at bay.
The home side took an early 5-0 with lock Will James crossing over but it quickly turned into 10-0 when Jimmy Cowan collected a lose ball before kicking through for Billy Twelvetrees to chase and score in the corner.
Bordeaux got on the board with two penalties from Puma Nicolas Sanchez five minutes later but just as the French started to get back into the game, Gloucester scored their third try.
Quick hands between the forwards and backs saw James Simpson-Daniel through who found Charlie Sharples on his shoulder to send him behind the try line.
Twelvetrees couldn’t convert again but Gloucester were leading 15-6 just before the half hour mark.
The fly-half kicked his first points of the game with a penalty from half-way but on the restart, England No.8 Ben Morgan bursted through the defence and, three passes later, Sharples went over for his second of the game and the try-bonus point for the Cherry and Whites for a 25-6 lead at half-time.
The second half never really got going but Bordeaux were eventually rewarded for all their hard work when flanker Gauthier Gibouin went over in the last play of the game.
For Gloucester
Tries: James, Twelvetress, Sharples 2
Conversions: Twelvetrees
Penalties: Twelvetrees
Sin bin: James
For Bordeaux-Begles
Tries: Gibouin
Conversions: Lopez
Penalties: Sanchez 2
Gloucester: Thomas; Sharples, Tindall, Molenaar, Simpson-Daniel; Twelvetrees, Cowan; Murphy, Edmonds, Knight; James, Hamilton; Kalamafoni, Qera, Morgan.
Replacements: Britton, Wood, Harden, Savage, Cox, Robson, Taylor, Cook.
Bordeaux-Begles: Domvo; Vasuinubu, Brousse, Denetre, Brana; Sanchez, Seron; Labbe, Rofes, Boutemane; Navickas, Tisseau; Gibouin, Kitshoff, Larrieu.
Replacements: Fort, DelBoulbes, Poirot, Chauveau, Le Bourhis, Favaro, Lopez, Chalmers.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Attendance: 9,576
Star man: Akapusi Qera – Gloucester
NICK VERDIER
