Top 14 final: UBB severely beaten by Toulouse
This Friday evening, Union Bordeaux-Bègles experienced a nightmare evening for the first final in its history in the Top 14. Opposed to Stade Toulousain, UBB lost heavily with a clear score of 59 to 3.
Despite their good season and their finalist place, the Bordelais have never managed to compete with the power and experience of Toulouse, the four-time reigning French champions. Dominated in all areas of play, Yannick Bru's men never managed to exist against the offensive armada of the Stadium.
UBB experienced a nightmare evening during the round of 16 this Friday evening in Marseille, the first in its history. After being humiliated by Stade Toulousain (59-3), Yannick Bru tried to explain his exit.
Yannick Bru: We quickly discovered that we lacked energy in everything. From the first twenty minutes, we tended to concede the ball and miss tackles. We found out we weren't invited. Against Toulouse, when you lose an arm wrestling match, they break your wrist on the table. We knew before the match that dark scenes could happen. We saw the punches and the aggressiveness of the Toulouse residents. The lesson is that to compete in the final stages with a Formula 1 car like this, you have to go straight to the semi-final. It is very difficult to cross the barricades.
Should Mathieu Jalibert play?
To defeat the Toulouse team, you must try a game of poker and place your 23 most talented players on the field. I believe that 23 other Bordeaux residents would have produced a similar result. Matthieu planned to participate in this match, but he explained to us that he could not increase his speed by 100%. Matéo Garcia was almost non-existent. Matthieu dedicated himself to serving the collective. I take full responsibility for putting it together. I appreciate his help.
How did you observe it from a distance?
At the edge of the field, it's difficult. For the players, they are not worthy of it. When the infernal machine of Toulouse is working, nothing can be done. At the end of the competition, we evaluate each action. We must remain silent and believe that we will learn from this in the future. We should celebrate Toulouse. We are not at that point. It seems shameful, but don't we forget that we still had the right to attend the final with them? This is not the true profile of UBB, nor the image we gave during the year. I would also like to express my regrets to our loyal supporters who have always supported us. This negatively affects the reputation of UBB.
What was your response to Max Lucu, the man you visited to comfort him at the end of the match?
I advised Max not to cry. We are increased, we were not invited today. Too many points. After the end of the match, Toulouse was overjoyed and we lost it. We have an energy deficit that prevents us from competing. However, we are in the first year of the project. We will have a better year next year. Such slaps inspire a lot of humility, a lot of effort and a lot of growth. This must be a catalyst for preparing for tomorrow. I am optimistic that next year will be a catalyst for us to achieve these technical and sporting goals. Today's disaster should not undo all the good the players have accomplished this year.