Pau (AFP)

Pau, third in the Top 14, confirmed its new status by hardly dominating a very undisciplined Bordeaux-Bègles team (29-24) on Saturday at the Hameau, on the occasion of the 5th day.

First jostled by determined Girondins (0-13, 20th), the Section found the resources, like last week against Lyon, to reverse the situation and offer itself a final logical success given the physiognomy of the match.

For the UBB, deprived of a match last week against Clermont because of the Covid-19, it is a third setback that penalizes the men of Christophe Urios who failed in the discipline (3 yellow cards).

They will be satisfied with the defensive bonus point won at the last minute thanks to a try from Cordero.

From the outset, the intentions were Bordeaux, with a need to redeem the copy delivered to Lyon which had not pleased their manager.

By setting the pace, the UBB upset Pau, especially in scrum, the strong point of the Béarn region at the start of the season.

After a penalty from Botica, a devastating maul collapsed a few inches from the in-goal set the tone, followed by a pick and go sequence sending Diaby behind the line (10-0).

The storm lasted another five minutes, the time that Botica connects with a new penalty, before the Section put his game in order. More at ease in the ground game, Pau moved closer to the over time (9-16, 40th) before accelerating back from the locker room with a melee that once again became a conqueror.

Then on a combination, Votu fell on the line, illegally prevented from flattening by Poirot.

The double penalty applied: yellow card for the international pillar and penalty try (16-16, 42nd), the 3rd for the Béarnais this season.

Despite a double numerical superiority - yellow card for Petti - Nicolas Godignon's men then sinned to gain the upper hand, before being helped by a stupid fault from Seuteni on Lespiaucq, worth ten minutes in the cupboard according to the referee.

This time, Pau did not waste the opportunity to finally take the lead on a discarded ball after a maul carried and concluded by Septar (23-19, 70th), confirmed by two penalties from Hastoy (73rd, 78th).

Luckily for UBB, an express comeback from rear Buros gave Cordero the chance to clinch a defensive bonus.

A lesser evil with regard to its start.

© 2020 AFP