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Dragons host Northampton in the Challenge Cup Round of 16
Bordeaux-Bègles and Dragons will clash for the first time in the Heineken Champions Cup on Saturday having met on four occasions in the European Rugby Challenge Cup.
The visiting side has tended to struggle when the two teams have met, with the hosts winning all four matches, leaving both clubs with two victories apiece. The venue for the Pool A fixture will be the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux, kicking off at 20:00 local time (UK and Irish time) with live coverage from beIN SPORTS and BT Sport.
Match Facts
- Bordeaux-Bègles and the Dragons have never met in the Heineken Champions Cup, however they’ve faced each other on four occasions in the Challenge Cup with the home side on the day winning each encounter (Bordeaux W2, Dragons W2).
- Bordeaux have hosted Welsh opposition on three previous occasion in the Heineken Champions Cup (W2, D1), including a 48-10 win against the Scarlets back in 1998/99 – their biggest victory in the competition.
- The Dragons have won just two of their 21 away games in the Heineken Champions Cup (L19), a 17-13 victory over Edinburgh in 2004/05 and a 35-33 win against Benetton in 2007/08.
- Bordeaux conceded the most penalties (17) of any side in the opening round of the Heineken Champions Cup, the Dragons conceded the most free-kicks of any side (4).
- Aaron Jarvis (Dragons) conceded a round high six penalties across the opening weekend of the Heineken Champions Cup, all of which were for scrum offences.
Bordeaux's Santiago Cordero scored four tries in three Heineken Champions Cup games last season
A hat-trick of tries from winger Santiago Cordero was the catalyst for Bordeaux Begles as they eased past Dragons 47-8 at the Stade Chaban-Delmas.
Mahamadou Diaby, Maxime Lamothe, Matthieu Jalibert and Ben Lam also touched down in the empathic victory but it was the Argentinian who stole the show with his trio of scores.
What a nightmare! 😱
It goes from bad to worse for the Dragons 😬
Cameron Woki helps himself to the tap back from kick-off and Santiago Cordero scores his second try of the match 🏉#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/M6oAnMKKio
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 19, 2020
A number of penalties against Dragons in the first half led to three tries for the hosts in the opening period. Maxime Lucu took a quick tap and go after one such penalty, racing through the Welsh region’s defence before a quick offload set up Diaby for the first try of the evening.
Dragons responded with three from the boot of Josh Lewis, but it was the hosts would take control of the game in the latter stages of the first period.
A series of penalties, six minutes before the interval, finally paid dividends for Bordeaux as their forwards battled through the phases before swiftly switching play to the wing, Cordero scoring in the corner.
In added time at the end of the first half – seconds after another penalty was awarded against Dragons – hooker Maxime Lamont finished a well worked lineout to dive in at the corner.
It's a hat-trick for Santiago Cordero 👏✨
Matthieu Jalibert runs through heavy traffic to set him up 🏃♂️
Lovely stuff 🤩#HeinekenChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/Qh8hUq339k
— Rugby on BT Sport (@btsportrugby) December 19, 2020
If the end of the first half put the Welsh side in a pickle it was further compounded by two tries in the opening five minutes of the second period.
15 seconds it took for Cordero to score his second try of the evening, Diaby in the action again as he recovered the second half kick-off from Dragons before relaying the ball to Cordero who scampered home.
Minutes later Jalibert added a score of his own – capitalising on a loose ball from a Dragons tackle. The French international fly-half then turned provider for Cordero as the Argentinian produced a stunning run and finish to complete his hat-trick.
Dragons scored a consolation in the final 10 minutes thanks to a try from Nick Tompkins, but there was still time for Bordeaux to run in arguably the try of the evening as Ben Lam finished of a scintillating passing move.
The sides will once again lock horns in Heineken Champions Cup action when the competition returns in January.
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