Bordeaux-Begles give up on top two hopes after shock Stade Francais loss / Photo: © AFP
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Bordeaux-Begles give up on top two hopes after shock Stade Francais loss
Bordeaux-Begles head coach Yannick Bru said on Saturday that an automatic place in the French Top 14 semi-finals is no longer possible after a surprise 33-28 home defeat to Stade Francais.
Bru's Champions Cup holders are seven points behind second-placed Pau with 11 rounds of the season to go.
Bordeaux-Begles suffered a first defeat since December 27 after conceding five tries to the Parisians.
It came a week after claiming a spot in the Champions Cup last 16 with an impressive win away to Bristol.
The Parisians are third, four points behind surprise-package Pau, thanks to tries from Fiji winger Peniasi Dakuwaqa, England centre Joe Marchant, Tonga forward Tanginoa Halaifonua, South African midfielder Jeremy Ward and France back-rower Yoan Tanga.
"I felt that we lacked dynamism and energy," Bru told reporters. "It's painful but we have to accept it.
"We will now lift the weight from our shoulders of saying that we have to be in the top two.
"The top two now, unless we pull off something special or there's a major collapse by our rivals, will not be possible," the former France hooker added.
Winger Damian Penaud started for Bru's outfit just days after being one of three big names to be omitted from France's Six Nations squad, with Les Bleus starting the defence of their title on February 5 against Ireland.
Stade Francais led 21-14 at half-time thanks to efforts from Dakuwaqa, Marchand and Halaifonua as ex-France captain Jefferson Poirot and scrum-half Arthur Retiere crossed for the hosts.
Ward and Tanga then secured the win for the 14-time champions despite a superb solo try from Bordeaux-Begles fly-half Matthieu Jalibert, who is set to start at half-back alongside Antoine Dupont against Ireland.
Elsewhere, centre Gael Fickou, another stalwart dropped from France's Six Nations squad, played 80 minutes as Racing 92 edged Lyon 35-34.
Fiji forward Peceli Yato crossed twice as Perpignan eased past Montauban 31-8 to move seven points clear of their opponents at the bottom of the table, while Castres held to win 13-10 at Bayonne.
Later, Dupont's league leading Toulouse host Pau with just a point separating them in the standings and on Sunday Toulon welcome Montpellier, in a game postponed by 23 hours due to heavy rain, before La Rochelle head to Clermont.
L.Maurer--VB
