Held at Kingsholm, Bordeaux-Begles still chasing Saracens

Trailing 24-17 at half-time, Bordeaux came back twice to snatch a draw.

Martin Page-Relo opened the scoring in the 4th minute, slipping down the touchline. Gloucester replied through Arthur Clark (9th) and Max Llewellyn (13th), on the back of a dominant scrum. Sipili Falatea levelled (19th), Maxime Lucu put Bordeaux back in front with a penalty (25th), but George Barton restored Gloucester’s lead before half-time with a try and a penalty (24-17).

Bielle-Biarrey’s double

After the break, Pablo Uberti (46th) and Louis Bielle-Biarrey (50th) put Bordeaux ahead (24-29). Replacement Will Trenholm answered with two tries (56th and 60th) to give Gloucester a seven-point lead (36-29). Sent through by Lucu, Bielle-Biarrey scored his second in the 62nd minute, converted by his captain (36-36). There was no further scoring, Bordeaux’s last attack ending in a knock-on.

Unfortunately it’s a recurrence. He didn’t force anything in his return, fate is against his quadriceps, and we will have to get used to playing without him.

Yannick Bru, Bordeaux-Begles manager | beIN Sports

Two points each

With five tries apiece, neither side earns a try bonus, now reserved for a team scoring three more tries than its opponent. Bordeaux-Begles have still never won at Kingsholm after two defeats on their previous visits.

16 straight wins, like La Rochelle

Between 8 December 2024 and the 23 May 2026 final against Leinster (41-19), Bordeaux-Begles had won all 16 of their European Cup games. In our data, only La Rochelle had matched that, between December 2021 and May 2023. Next come Toulouse (14, from 2023 to 2025), Munster (13, from 2005 to 2007) and Saracens (13, in 2015 and 2016). For La Rochelle, we exclude a December 2021 game left at 0-0 with no recorded action.

Three games to catch Saracens

The unbeaten run goes on: Bordeaux-Begles have not lost a European Cup game since 13 April 2024 (41-42), a run of 17 games, matching Leinster between 2010 and 2012. Only Saracens have done better, with 20 games unbeaten between November 2015 and October 2017, including one draw. Bordeaux’s three remaining pool games could take them level: the visit of the Stormers on 13 December, Munster on 10 January, then a trip to Bristol on 16 January.

Setback for Jalibert

Before kick-off, Yannick Bru confirmed that Matthieu Jalibert has suffered a recurrence of his right quadriceps injury. The fly-half will have a scan on Monday.