Chiefs dent Bordeaux play-off hopes
The result means Bordeaux wasted a golden opportunity to go top of Pool Five – Clermont Auvergne guaranteed to be top of the pool with just two rounds of league action remaining.
A tight encounter saw Thomas Waldrom and Luke Cowan-Dickie score in either half and Henry Slade booted 10 points as Bordeaux wing Nans Ducuing was sent off.
Ducuing saw red for what was deemed a dangerous tackle on Olly Woodburn as the French side failed to back up their win at Sandy Park last Sunday.
Both sides went hell for leather early on, a tight game seeing the first quarter come to an end with both sides scoreless.
There was little between the sides, Lionel Beauxis putting a drop-goal wide and Slade just failing to dot down in a foot race to the line following a chip through.
Beauxis was then back on target with a 24th minute penalty and the French side moved further ahead when the flyhalf added his second kick at goal.
The build-up to that score had seen Bordeaux move down the blindside, a flowing team move ending with Exeter's Mitch Lees seeing yellow for infringing at a ruck.
At that stage you feared for the Chiefs, but they made light work of being a man down.
They went straight back up the other end, Slade creating the space from which Waldrom crashed over.
The England man converted for a narrow 7-6 advantage.
The second period started with a third penalty from Beauxis before Ducuing's red card incident arrived.
Both men went for the ball but, referee John Lacey deemed the tackle dangerous and sent the French player from the field.
Slade's penalty then put Exeter back ahead before Exeter's Greg Holmes was yellow carded to make it 14 against 14.
Replacement Baptiste Serin quickly kicked a penalty, but Cowan-Dickie then responded as he crashed over from close range for what proved to be the decisive score.
Slade converted and sealed the win with a late penalty.
The scorers:
For Bordeaux-Begles:
Pens: Beauxis 3, Serin
Exeter Chiefs:
Tries: Waldrom, Cowan-Dickie
Cons: Slade 2
Pens: Slade 2
Yellow cards: Mitch Lees (Exeter Chiefs, 28 – repeat infringements, slowing down ball), Greg Holmes (Exeter Chiefs, 63 – foul play, tipping a Bordeaux forward at a driving maul)
Red card: Nans Ducuing (Bordeaux-Begles, 48 – foul play, mid-air collision)
Teams:
Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Geoffrey Cros, 14 Nans Ducuing, 13 Romain Lonca, 12 Joe Wakacegu, 11 Jean-Baptiste Dubié, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Julien Audy, 8 Marco Tauleigne, 7 Joe Edwards, 6 Loann Goujon, 5 Berend Botha, 4 Tom Palmer, 3 Marc Clerc, 2 Ole Avei, 1 Sébastien Taofifenua.
Replacements: 16 Benat Auzqui, 17 Jean-Baptiste Poux, 18 Xerom Civil, 19 Cyril Cazeaux, 20 Louis Madaule, 21 Gauthier Doubrere, 22 Baptiste Serin, 23 Jean-Marcellin Buttin.
Exeter Chiefs: 15 Phil Dollman, 14 Jack Nowell, 13 Ian Whitten, 12 Sam Hill, 11 Olly Woodburn, 10 Henry Slade, 9 Will Chudley, 8 Thomas Waldrom, 7 Kai Horstmann (captain), 6 Dave Ewers, 5 Ollie Atkins, 4 Mitch Lees, 3 Harry Williams, 2 Luke Cowan-Dickie, 1 Carl Rimmer.
Replacement: 16 Shaun Malton, 17 Moray Low, 18 Greg Holmes, 19 Dave Dennis, 20 Don Armand, 21 Jack Maunder, 22 Joe Simmonds, 23 Michele Campagnaro.
Referee: John Lacey (Ireland)
Assistant referees: Stuart Gaffikin (Ireland), Richard Kerr (Ireland)
TMO: Brian MacNeice (Ireland)
Source: @ChampionsCup
