Rayasi Hat-trick Inspires Nine-try Bordeaux In Crushing Win Against Leicester

Even astatine full-strength, Leicester would person struggled against nan astir potent onslaught successful Europe. But without a drawstring of first-choice forwards, including Ollie Chessum, Joe Heyes, Tommy Reffell and Nicky Smith, nan consequence astatine a sun-drenched Stade Chaban-Delmas was ne'er successful doubt.

So it proved arsenic Bordeaux Bégles tore their English guests to shreds, registering 9 tries to underline their position arsenic continental champions pinch a 64-14 win. A quarter-final against their home rivals, Toulouse, will beryllium required viewing adjacent weekend.

It took a while for nan floodgates to open. A Maxime Lucu punishment was each nan hosts had to show for their power aft 20 minutes. Both teams were sloppy pinch shot successful manus but a creaking Leicester scrum, and an inability to pin Bordeaux down successful their ain half, meant this was conscionable nan quiet earlier nan storm.

Cameron Woki, superb astir nan parkland each game, sewage things going erstwhile he utilized each inch of his rangy framework to dot down nether contact. Louis Bielle-Biarrey provided 2 assists successful six minutes – first for Salesi Rayasi pinch a one-two down nan near helping past for Lucu aft wriggling done a constrictive spread successful midfield – earlier he inevitably scored 1 of his own. Before nan half-time whistle sounded, Matthieu Jalibert scythed done nan Tigers’ achromatic wall connected nan 22 and played a elemental wrong shot for nan hooker Maxime Lamothe.

It was a 40-minute accumulation that reaffirmed immoderate harsh truths. The first was that French nine rugby operates connected a different level to its competitors. A Sunday study successful L’Équipe revealed that nan latest TV woody betwixt Canal+ and nan Top 14 and Pro D2 is worthy much than £120m annually, meaning teams adjacent nan apical extremity of nan convention propulsion successful sums only seen successful shot elsewhere.

The 2nd was that immoderate squad that treats this title lightly won’t past long. While location is nary mobility that immoderate of Leicester’s internationals merit a rest, Tigers fans could beryllium forgiven for emotion disappointment by nan pre-match lineup fixed their adjacent convention crippled is astatine location against nan bottom-placed Newcastle Red Bulls successful a fortnight.

Arthur Retière surges clear to people Bordeaux’s eighth effort against Leicester. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau/AFP/Getty Images

The two-time European champions offered glimpses of their imaginable aft nan restart. Aggressive defence connected halfway led to Izaia Perese snatch an intercept and hit Bielle-Biarrey to nan line. And aft Ben Tameifuna charged complete 2 tacklers to people a celebrated prop’s try, nan awesome Billy Searle, connected arsenic a substitute, rounded disconnected a objective move down nan blindside aft immoderate tenacious activity astatine nan breakdown wrong Bordeaux’s 22 conscionable earlier nan hour.

Both coaches emptied their benches and nan crippled mislaid overmuch of its continuity. The shrill blast of Andrew Brace’s whistle, sparsely utilized successful nan first period, became a regular feature.

Sensing nan creeping ennui settling complete nan place, Bordeaux shifted gears for illustration only nan champion teams tin and produced different stunner astatine will. Tameifuna erstwhile again steamrollered complete a hapless tackler to supply go-forward. Hugo Reus past dinked a delicious grubber that flat-footed Leicester’s defence and recovered nan onrushing Rayasi.

That knocked nan stuffing retired of nan Tigers. How galore much did Bordeaux want? Arthur Retière notched 1 erstwhile Temo Matiu popped an off-load adjacent to nan line, capping disconnected his team’s relentless continuity successful adjacent contact. Rayesi completed his hat-trick – his 2nd of nan play against Midlands opposition, aft doing nan aforesaid against Northampton successful January – arsenic he made Adam Radwan and Freddie Stewart look for illustration mannequins, side-stepping them down nan correct helping en way to nan effort line.

It’s a scary thought to see this was England’s third-best squad against nan broadside now 4th successful France. One wonders if moreover a full-strength Bath would person fared overmuch better.