Bielle-Biarrey strikes twice as Bordeaux win Champions Cup opener in S.Africa / Photo: EMMANUEL CROSET - AFP
Bielle-Biarrey strikes twice as Bordeaux win Champions Cup opener in S.Africa
Winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored twice as holders Bordeaux-Begles began the defence of their Champions Cup title with a 46-33 comeback win over the Bulls in South Africa.
France's Bielle-Biarrey crossed either side of the break as the Top 14 club trailed 33-22 at half-time in Pretoria.
Lock Boris Palu, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and replacement full-back Salesi Rayasi then touched down in a devastating 24-0 second-half for the French club who go top of Pool 4.
"At half-time we said we had to keep our cool," Jalibert told reporters.
"We had to impose our gameplan and things would open.
"It's a good team win considering what happened in the game," he added
The Bulls raced to an impressive lead at the interval before going scoreless in the second-half and claimed a bonus point for scoring four tries or more.
Sebastian de Klerk, Reinhardt Ludwig, Akker van der Merwe, Canan Moodie and Jeandre Rudolph guided the hosts to their half-time lead.
Palu powered over eight minutes into the second-half before an outstanding solo try from Bielle-Biarrey, as well as efforts from Jalibert and Rayasi, claimed the victory.
Four-time winners Leinster hammered a second-string Harlequins 45-28 in Dublin to underline their status as leading contenders for the title.
La Rochelle eased past Leicester 39-20 as France prop Uini Atonio made his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in June.
Three-time winners Saracens opened their campaign by routing visiting Clermont 47-10.
The English club pinned back their French visitors, three-time losing finalists.
The hosts took the lead after 10 minutes when Elliott Daly's kick bounced nicely for Argentina centre Lucio Cinti.
Clermont stopped a second Saracens try on 20 minutes at the expense of a yellow card for flanker Anthime Hemery.
They survived the numerical disadvantage but then cracked, leaking three tries in seven minutes as Saracens locked up a bonus point by the break.
Cinti scooted through for his second. Max Malins, helped by a freakish bounce on his kick ahead, touched down. Hooker James Hadfield bashed over on the stroke of half time.
Clermont's 19-year-old fullback Axel Guillaud broke a limp tackle to score early in the second half.
With former England captain Owen Farrell pulling the strings and kicking the goals at fly-half, Saracens hit back at once as another 19-year-old, highly-rated English winger Noah Caluori, cut through the Clermont defence.
Harry Plummer squirmed over for a late Clermont try. Again that provoked a home reaction and flanker Hugh Tizard and replacement hooker Theo Dan touched down for the hosts.
On Friday, Glasgow earned a bonus-point 26-21 victory at Sale as the Scots won in style while Stormers won 26-17 at Bayonne.
C.Bertrand--JdB
