"We are on red alert", had confided, concerned, Christophe Urios before the arrival of the Ile-de-France residents, in view of the absentees in his ranks, between injured and unreleased internationals, with deprived sectors.

The Girondin manager was right, even if his team had the opportunities to take shelter well before this "money-time" which smiled on the men of Laurent Travers, revengeful after their heavy defeat in the first leg in their covered lair (37-14).

Despite this setback, the second in a row after Mayol last week, UBB keep their throne but see Montpellier come closer to five points with one more game to play.

Thanks to this victory, Racing establishes its place in the Top 6, now six points ahead of its Parisian neighbor, 7th.

The skies and whites led their boat well on the banks of the Garonne, depriving their host of the ball at the start of the match and settling in front of the score thanks to two penalties from Machenaud (0-6, 7th).

As a symbol, it is Tameifuna, ex of Racing already decisive last season in the quarter-finals of the European Cup, who planted the first banderilla at the conclusion of a penalty touch and a big sequence in front of the visitor line (18th).

This allowed the UBB players to get out of their initial feverishness during which they saw their young opener Matéo Garcia (19), promoted in the absence of Jalibert and Trinh Duc, miss a penalty almost ready made.

Too much pressure ?

Perhaps even if he recovered well afterwards, notably passing a 50-meter penalty against the wind.

The two teams then offered two big defenses, in particular that of Racing which withstood several big Gironde waves without ever breaking.

And when that was the case, Lesgourgues lacked the promptness to complete a hand-hand action from the second lines with chistera as Jolmes, a big man in this first act (37th), passed.

The young opener of Bordeaux-Bègles Matéo Garcia is tackled by the Racingmen at the Chaban-Delmas stadium, February 20, 2022 Thibaud MORITZ AFP

After the break, the visitors, embarrassed in touch, took advantage of a stray throw by Lamothe to counter-attack and at the end of the line, Imhoff played with a kick over the Gironde defense to put the his in front (10-13, 51).

Without panicking, Bordeaux came back to score with a long-distance penalty from Garcia but could not physically follow up to deliver the knockout blow.

Quite the opposite of Camille Chat's teammates, twirling, who recovered the winning penalty at the last minute for a high tackle that made Chaban scream.

Without trembling, Volavola passed it for an important victory in the race for qualification.

© 2022 AFP