Bordeaux vintage too strong as Bulls get a bitter taste of Champions Cup action

The Bulls were taught a harsh lesson in the true gulf between the United Rugby Championship and the Champions Cup when the reigning champions Bordeaux overwhelmed them 46–33 at Loftus Versfeld on Saturday evening.

The Bulls have reached three URC finals, but this was a reminder that the Champions Cup — featuring the best teams in Europe and South Africa — is an altogether steeper mountain. It was always going to be a fierce contest given the two star-studded line-ups.

Bordeaux, the champions, had 16 Test players (14 of them French) in their match-day 23, including the core of the current French Test backline. Fourteen of the 23 also played in last season’s Champions Cup final against Northampton. In turn, the Bulls fielded 13 Springboks.

It was Test-match standard from the first whistle to the last, as the champions chased a precious away win and the Bulls tried to arrest a slump that included last week’s disappointing home defeat to the Lions.

The French side began with chilling intent. From the opening kick-off they worked the ball slickly upfield before the brilliant fly-half Matthieu Jalibert put fellow France international Damian Penaud in at the corner. Jalibert converted for the perfect start.

It took six minutes for the Bulls to finally get hands on the ball in attack, but when they did, they struck superbly. After building pressure in the Bordeaux 22, Handré Pollard shifted play blind for Sebastian de Klerk to finish in the corner.

Parity didn’t last. From the restart, Bordeaux went through the phases until Jalibert created space for Louis Bielle-Biarrey to score.

Once again, the Bulls hit back, this time through flank Reinhardt Ludwig, who profited from slick handling inside the 22, orchestrated once more by Pollard.

The first quarter ended 14–14 after a frenetic exchange.

The ding-dong battle continued as the rival hookers scored within minutes of each other — Maxime Lamothe for Bordeaux, before Pollard brilliantly released Akker van der Merwe for a reply. Pollard’s conversion handed the Bulls the lead for the first time at 21–19.

Worryingly for the visitors, their set scrum began to creak — a major concern given the Bulls’ powerful “Bomb Squad” of Johann Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp, Wilco Louw, Ruan Nortje and Elrigh Louw.

But the Bulls failed to score a single point in the second half.

Bordeaux regained the lead in the 30th minute through a Jalibert penalty, but the Bulls struck back spectacularly when Pollard, pulling the strings superbly, worked Canan Moodie into space and the wing beat his opposite number with a brilliant finish.

The celebrations had barely subsided before the Bulls were in again. Breaking from the restart, the industrious Jeandré Rudolph finished at the other end, and Pollard’s conversion put the Bulls 33–22 ahead at the break.

Early in the second half, the Bulls suffered a setback when centre David Kriel was yellow-carded for a deliberate infringement under pressure in the 22.

The visitors capitalised as lock Boris Palu powered over, and the conversion cut the deficit to 33–27.

Pollard then made his first mistake of the night, swatting down a pass and earning a yellow card just as Kriel returned. Kriel’s first action was a shot at goal, but it bounced back off the upright.

The game reached a crescendo at the three-quarter mark when Bielle-Biarrey — who had rivalled Malcolm Marx for World Rugby Player of the Year — scored from a skilful grubber through the defence.

The excellent scrum-half Maxime Lucu, France’s understudy to Antoine Dupont, added the conversion for a 34–33 lead with 15 minutes left.

From there, the champions went up a gear. Their forwards surged into the Bulls’ 22, opening the gap for Jalibert to score, and within a minute replacement centre Salesi Rayasi raced away for a 60-metre effort.

At 46–33, Bordeaux were over the hills and far away.

Scorers

Bulls — Tries: Sebastian de Klerk, Reinhardt Ludwig, Akker van der Merwe, Canan Moodie, Jeandre Rudolf. Conversions: Handre Pollard (4).

Bordeaux — Tries: Damian Penaud, Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2), Maxime Lamothe, Boris Palu, Matthieu Jalibert, Salesi Rayasi. Conversions: Matthieu Jalibert (2), Maxime Lucu (2). Penalty: Jalibert.