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at the end of the suspense, the UBB dismisses Lyon and joins La Rochelle in half

Matthieu Jalibert and company have an appointment with La Rochelle. Frédéric Chambert / PANORAMIC

The Girondins finally got the better of the Lyonnais (25-32) this Sunday, in Gerland, in the play-offs. A game with many twists and turns.

What a match… At the end of a totally crazy scenario, Union Bordeaux-Bègles finally got rid of Lyon 32-25 at Gerland this Sunday, in the play-offs. The Girondins will challenge the European champions of La Rochelle in the semi-finals on June 10 in San Sebastian. Stade Toulousain will face Racing 92 the day before, still at Anoeta, in the other half. The final is scheduled for June 17 on the lawn of the Stade de France, in Saint-Denis.

Lyon seemed to dominate the debates, in particular by going out in front at the break. But the change in the Bordeaux first line at the start of the second period changed a lot, gave new momentum to a UBB team which was able to reverse the trend. Like the melee dominated when Lyon reigned in this sector, a few seconds before Mahamadou Diaby’s try (47th). Then, the physical qualities of the Congolese winger Madosh Tambwe, author of two solo tries (69th and 77th) spoke for themselves to make the LOU doubt. Result of the races, Bordeaux, which had not won away for three months, recovered at the best of times.

The irregularity of the LOU, a disease that lasts

Lyon had done everything well, but like this season Xavier Garbajosa’s group alternated periods of total domination with air pockets at key moments. Despite Mathieu Jalibert’s try at the very start of the game (7th), the Lyonnais reacted immediately to take control from Ethan Dumortier’s tenth try this season (9th), well served by Baptiste Couilloud. Behind, the LOU fed on Bordeaux errors thanks to the boot of Lima Sopoaga, author of a good performance, he who is not unanimous on the side of Lyon. But not only since the talent of Joshua Tuisova also made it possible to launch Lyon on the highway of victory with a test of more than 80 meters, launched then finished by the Fijian center (30th), before finally stalling.

The Lyon players thought they had done the hard part by returning to Bordeaux on the power test of Josiah Maraku (74th) well helped by Dylan Cretin, a few minutes from time. Unfortunately for them, Jean-Marc Doussain’s teammates saw the opening half (who entered a minute earlier in place of Sopoaga) miss the conversion, allowing UBB to take a definitive advantage of seven points, after the final try by Madosh Tambwe converted by Mathieu Jalibert (77th).

LOU are ending their season here, while Bordeaux will be able to savor their victory for a short time, since it is the reigning double European champion that they will have to face next weekend. Not an easy task when we remembered that the Rochelais had survived in Bordeaux on March 25, winning largely 36-6.

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