Bordeaux too strong for Castres
TOP 14 WRAP: Bordeaux-Begles dominated Castres to win 23-10 on Saturday and increase their lead at the top of the French table.
Bordeaux’s fifth straight league victory took them 10 points clear of Montpellier, who beat La Rochelle 29-23 to move into second place.
“The goal is to be in the top six,” said Bordeaux boss Christophe Urios.
“We are top and we want to stay that way for as long as possible.”
The home team led 20-0 at half-time following tries by Ulupano Seuteni and Louis Picamoles, both converted by Francois Trinh-Duc who also booted two penalties.
Castres fought back after the break and scored their first points with a 45th-minute try by Kevin Kornath.
While the visitors enjoyed a territorial edge, they only added one more penalty while Trinh-Duc kicked his third for the hosts.
Castres also struggled in the lineout, losing seven balls on their own throw.
Montpellier scored two tries in each half at sixth-placed La Rochelle, who missed the chance to move above their opponents.
“We managed to score four tries in La Rochelle, that’s not nothing,” said Montpellier manager Philippe Saint-Andre after his side’s seventh consecutive Top 14 success.
“Not everyone is capable of that. We had more power than La Rochelle today.”
La Rochelle, last season’s Top 14 and European Champions Cup losing finalists, have lost three of their last four games.
“I have to take some responsibility, because I am the boss here,” said coach Ronan O’Gara. “We were not at the level required in terms of aggression. The table… is starting to be worrying.”
Lyon leapfrogged reigning champions Toulouse and Castres in the table, staying level on points with Montpellier, thanks to a comfortable 28-23 victory at Perpignan.
The hosts held a 10-9 lead at the interval, but Lyon ran in three tries in quick succession before a late score gave Perpignan a losing bonus point.
Elsewhere, Brive thumped bottom club Biarritz 33-10.
