Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: OLIVIER CHASSIGNOLE / AFP 00:15, June 05, 2023

Bordeaux-Bègles advance to the semi-finals after winning the Top 14 play-off at LOU. Thanks to a gala Matthieu Jalibert, Bordeaux won at the end of the suspense 32-25 and will face La Rochelle in the semis in San Sebastian.

And three! Bordeaux-Bègles qualified by forceps for its third consecutive Top 14 semi-final after its victory in Lyon (32-25), Sunday in the play-off. UBB, already present in the last four in 2021 and 2022, will face La Rochelle in a week in San Sebastian. The other half pits Toulouse, first of the regular season, against Racing 92, who fell to Stade Français (33-20) in the play-off.

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Gala Jalibert

The Girondins, led by a gala Matthieu Jalibert and tries from Mahamadou Diaby (46th) and a double from Madosh Tambwe (66th, 78th), won in Lyon for the third time since 2012 after their successes in 2015 (37-22) and 2021 (20-15).

Better, dominated in the fight, they managed to turn the tide against the Gones, despite winning six of their last seven home games. They also, and above all, resisted chronic indiscipline, like the yellow cards of third line Tom Willis (60th), caught in a scuffle with Felix Lambey, also sanctioned, then pillar Lekso Kaulashvili (64th) for a high tackle. Nevertheless, they owed their salvation to two races of their car Tambwe, which crossed the field to crucify the Lou.

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Match in hand

Xavier Garbajosa's men seemed to have the game in hand but they lost the thread, especially in the second half. A big paradox for a team known for finishing its games strong. But the showdown was won by UBB, impressive in solidarity and much more realistic than its opponents. It was their first away success in the play-offs. And too bad for Lyon's tries, scored by Ethan Dumortier (9th) then centres Josua Tuisova (30th) and Josiah Maraku (74th).

This setback of the Lou is a summary of a complicated season, marked by crippling inconsistency and infighting. This time, it's expensive. This trip to the Spanish Basque Country is also an opportunity for UBB to forget a season in sawtooth, marked by the departure of its manager Christophe Urios. No matter, it is Bordeaux-Bègles that can roar with pleasure while waiting to find La Rochelle.