Champions Cup opens on mournful note as holders Bordeaux-Begles draw

REPORT: Europe’s club rugby competitions made a sombre start Friday with a minute’s silence for Lions player Hyron Andrews, who was found dead in his hotel room earlier.

Champions Cup holders Bordeaux-Bègles kicked off the competition and were held to a 36-36 draw in a frenzied match at Gloucester.

Andrews, a 31-year-old second-row forward for the Johannesburg-based Lions, was found in cardiac arrest and died on the eve of his team’s match against La Rochelle, local authorities told AFP.

The tragedy came 10 years to the day since the sudden death of former Munster coach Anthony Foley, who died in his sleep aged 42 from a heart rhythm disorder hours before his team were due to play Racing 92 in Paris in the same competition.

Foley was already set to be commemorated before Munster hosted Racing 92 on Saturday.

Bordeaux-Bègles had a difficult journey to Gloucester, with star winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey, three other players and a coach briefly held at Bristol airport because they had not updated their Electronic Travel Authorisation permits.

On Friday, Bielle-Biarrey was unstoppable, scoring twice as the two teams shared ten tries.

Bordeaux-Bègles took the lead at the start of each half, but the tenacious hosts hit back.

“A lot of frustration,” said visiting flyhalf Maxime Lucu after the game. “But a lot of pleasure also in playing this game tonight.”

After four minutes, Martin Page-Relo scooted unopposed for a Bordeaux try.

Arthur Clark and Max Llewellyn responded for Gloucester before Sipili Falatea tied the game up after 20 minutes.

Maxime Lucu, who also converted four of his team’s tries, then put the visitors ahead with a penalty.

George Barton plunged over 35 minutes and, with the last kick of the half, landed a penalty to put the hosts seven points up.

Like Lucu, Barton hit on four of his conversions.

The visitors seemed to be imposing themselves early in the second half. Pablo Uberti barrelled over after 47 minutes. Then Bielle-Biarrey outpaced the defensive cover after 50 minutes.

Gloucester responded with two tries in three minutes from Will Trenholm.

The first followed a turnover. The second was set up by Seb Atkinson, who outjumped the defence to gather his own chip ahead.

Within two minutes, Bielle-Biarrey raced clear to level the match.

In a frenzied finish, Gloucester spurned a kickable penalty to go for a line-out, but Bordeaux Begles stole the ball.

The game ended when the visitors fumbled the ball close to the home line.

The scorers:

For Gloucester:
Tries: Clark, Llewellyn, Barton, Trenholm 2
Cons: Barton 4
Pen: Barton

For Bordeaux:
Tries: Page-Relo, Falatea, Uberti, Bielle-Biarrey 2
Cons: Lucu 4
Pen: Lucu

Teams:

Gloucester: 15 George Barton, 14 Will Joseph, 13 Max Llewellyn, 12 Seb Atkinson, 11 Ben Loader, 10 Charlie Atkinson, 9 Dan Robson, 8 Jack Clement, 7 Jac Morgan, 6 Deain Gwynne, 5 Arthur Clark, 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Ciaran Knight, 2 Dewi Lake (captain), 1 Dian Bleuler.
Replacements: 16 Seb Blake, 17 Val Rapava Ruskin, 18 Eliot Salt, 19 Freddie Thomas, 20 Will Trenholm, 21 Lewis Ludlow, 22 Caolan Englefield, 23 Will Knight.

Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Salesi Rayasi, 14 Pablo Uberti, 13 Nicolas Depoortere, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Maxime Lucu (captain), 9 Martin Page-Relo, 8 Tom Willis, 7 Temo Matiu, 6 Marko Gazzotti, 5 Ben Tameifuna, 4 Cameron Woki, 3 Sipili Falatea, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot.
Replacements: 16 Connor Sa, 17 Matis Perchaud, 18 Lasha Pkhakadze, 19 Adam Zapedowski, 20 Pierre Bochaton, 21 Elyjah Ibsaiene, 22 Xan Mousques, 23 Romain Buros.

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
Assistant referees: Franco Rosella (Italy), Dario Merli (Italy)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)