Paris (AFP)

Bordeaux-Bègles and Clermont were satisfied with a draw which nevertheless placed them back in the peloton of qualifying teams for the final phase, Saturday in a late Top 14 match where Pau was reassured in view of the maintenance.

In a close game, UBB did not come so far from a third straight home victory, but failed to take cover.

The Jaunards, who played exceptionally in green, stuck to the score (16-16) in the last five minutes on a penalty from center Jean-Pascal Barraque.

"We are disappointed, frustrated (...) But today, we can only blame ourselves. Clermont played well but we made too many stupid mistakes," responded the international opener from UBB Matthieu Jalibert at the microphone of Canal Plus.

This result is rather the business of Clermont who climbs from eighth to fourth place and is positioned just in front of the UBB, fifth with the same number of points (35) but a poorer overall goal average.

The two teams are guaranteed to remain in the Top 6 at the end of the weekend but can each lose a place depending on the result of Toulon, demoted to eighth place, which goes Sunday on the grounds of Racing 92, third.

The UBB, now up to date with 14 matches played, would like not to be overtaken by Toulon who, like Clermont, will still have one game to catch up after this weekend.

For Clermont coach Franck Azéma, the result "seems logical" even if the Bordelais "may have regrets".

In particular on the try of the Argentine winger Bautista Delguy, in the first period, refused for a screen of Thierry Paiva in action.

Instead of taking up to ten lengths in advance, the UBB remained within gun range of Clermont who never let himself be too far behind.

After the first try of the Bordeaux hooker Maxime Lamothe (15), the Jaunards quickly got back together (20) while playing thirteen against fifteen.

- Urios upset -

The yellow cards inflicted on captain Peceli Yato and hooker Adrien Pélissié did not prevent Damian Penaud from flattening.

The winger, who must return to the XV of France at the end of January to prepare for the Tournament, was served on a plateau by the other winger of ASM Alivereti Raka, author of a decisive acceleration.

On this streak, "we defend very badly," said UBB coach Christophe Urios, upset by his team's hand errors.

"It is a match that we did not know how to win and which inflates us," insisted the coach.

The Clermont scrum-half Morgan Parra, precious in front of the poles (9 points), praised the attitude of his team: "At the moment, we are raising our cursor a little."

ASM is indeed on the right track.

Last weekend, she ended a series of three consecutive defeats by winning at Pau (42-31).

The Section imposed itself narrowly in Bayonne (23-22), a direct competitor for maintenance, and glued up to Castres, tenth, who went to Montpellier on Sunday, penultimate.

Deprived of competition for nearly a month, after several contaminations with the British variant of Covid-19, the Basques fought like lions but seemed to suffer physically at the end.

Pau winger Watisoni Votu, who entered the second half, took the opportunity to give his team a second try.

The opener Antoine Hastoy, decisive in front of the posts, put the Section in front and the score did not budge.

© 2021 AFP