Union Bordeaux-Bègles defeats La Rochelle to claim second place

Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) secured a 25-19 victory against Stade Rochelais at Marcel-Deflandre, moving into second place in the Top 14 standings. The win marks a significant turnaround for the Girondins, who have recently struggled with a severe injury crisis.

Before and during the match, UBB faced multiple setbacks, including the loss of players like Lasha Pkhakadze, Romain Buros, and Sipili Falatea during warm-ups, as well as Adam Zapedowski and Marko Gazzotti exiting the field during the first half. Despite these absences, fly-half Hugo Reus anchored the performance, contributing 20 points through his boot.

Carlü Sadie scored the opening try for Bordeaux-Bègles, while La Rochelle responded with tries from Theo McFarland and Semi Lagivala. La Rochelle's indiscipline proved costly, allowing UBB to maintain control despite a late scoring effort by Andy Timo. The result places UBB just five points behind leaders Toulouse.