La Rochelle Gears Up for Siya Kolisi’s Debut Against Racing 92 with 25-21 Victory Over Bordeaux-Begles
La Rochelle made preparations for Siya Kolisi’s anticipated debut for Racing 92 next weekend by securing a hard-fought 25-21 victory over Bordeaux-Begles in the French Top 14 on Sunday, November 19, 2023.
Ronan O’Gara’s squad climbed to the eighth position in the league table with their third win of the season, just a week before Kolisi is expected to make his first appearance for Racing 92.
Kolisi’s Rivals Slip to Tenth Place
Bordeaux-Begles, on the other hand, fell to the tenth spot in the standings after suffering their fourth defeat of the campaign. O’Gara expressed his satisfaction, saying, “I think we’ve kick-started our season now, and it will benefit us greatly. It was an important victory. We’ve been going through a tough period, but I’m very proud of the players and the crowd.”
France winger Damian Penaud, in his debut for Bordeaux-Begles following his transfer from Clermont, took the field. Ex-New Zealand scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow led La Rochelle, a team that has previously won the Champions Cup twice under the guidance of former Ireland fly-half O’Gara.
Bordeaux-Begles held a slim 9-8 lead at halftime, courtesy of three penalties from their Test and club teammate Matthieu Jalibert. Hooker Pierre Bourgarit added to the home side’s score with a try from a rolling maul.
Penaud assisted in center Nicolas Depoortere’s try and also scored a magnificent one himself after a well-placed cross-kick by Jalibert. With 25 minutes remaining, Bordeaux-Begles led 21-8.
However, La Rochelle staged a comeback, securing victory through a try by Samoa center UJ Seuteni and Bourgarit’s second try, while 19-year-old replacement fly-half Hugo Reus successfully converted two kicks.
Reus completed the comeback against their Atlantic coast rivals with a long-range penalty, sealing the final score at 25-21 with just nine minutes remaining, similar to his impressive performance in goal-kicking during last weekend’s victory over Bayonne.
Springboks’ Captain Readies for Action
Siya Kolisi, South Africa’s two-time World Cup-winning captain, joined his new club in the French capital two weeks ago after celebrating the Webb Ellis trophy in the same city just last month. On Saturday, he watched from the stands as his team secured a 13-9 win over Stade Francais in the Parisian derby. Kolisi eagerly awaits his debut, saying, “I can’t wait to play, honestly. That’s the missing piece. Being on the field is what I’m looking forward to most.”
In other news, Montpellier appointed the controversial former France head coach Bernard Laporte as director of rugby, shortly after suffering a 23-16 loss to Perpignan, leaving the 2022 champions at the bottom of the table.
Laporte had resigned from his position as French Rugby Federation president in January due to allegations of favoritism in awarding a shirt sponsorship contract for the national team to Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Montpellier.
On Saturday, Alun Wyn Jones, the former Wales and British and Irish Lions captain and the most capped player in test rugby, made his final career appearance as Toulon edged past Clermont 30-27, marking their first win at the Stade Marcel-Michelin in eight years.
