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Brive travel south on Saturday to face Oyonnax in Challenge Cup Pool 5
Brive travel south on Saturday to face Oyonnax in Challenge Cup Pool 5, with both teams needing a win to get back into contention. Oyonnax have won two of the previous three meetings between the clubs, however, Brive won their most recent encounter in Round 2 this season.
· Brive have lost their last two games, but haven’t lost more consecutive matches since 2014/15 when they lost all six pool matches.
· Oyonnax have lost just two of their eight home games in the Challenge Cup (W5, D1), while they’ve won both times they’ve hosted TOP 14 opposition.
· Brive have a points difference of +16 at half time across their four games this season, but -53 in the second half.
· Oyonnax have the lowest lineout success rate of any side after four rounds (75%).
Brive claimed a comfortable 29-19 bonus-point triumph over Top 14 rivals Oyonnax in Pool 5 of the European Rugby Challenge Cup at the Stade Charles Mathon on Saturday evening. - 13/01/2018 20:27
Brive claimed a comfortable 29-19 bonus-point triumph over Top 14 rivals Oyonnax in Pool 5 of the European Rugby Challenge Cup at the Stade Charles Mathon on Saturday evening.
- Alfi Mafi, Felix Le Bourhis, Seremaia Burotu and Benito Masilevu all crossed in as Brive earned a morale-boosting victory away from home, albeit their hopes of knockout stage rugby in Europe were long dashed before Saturday's fixtures.
- Oyonnax would strike first blood, though, via the boot of scrum-half Julien Audy, who kicked his first of four penalties on the third minute, but the Brive dominance would seen take effect.
- Brive full-back Mafi flew over in the eighth minute and Le Bourhis followed 20 minutes later, before Nicolas Bezy added a penalty to his two conversions to secure a 15-12 lead for the visitors at the interval.
- Centre Burotu dotted down nine minutes after the restart and Brive raced through the gears in the second period and winger Masilevu secured a bonus-point, but the visitors could not keep a clean sheet in the second half as replacement back Jose Lima scored in the dying moments of the clash to make the scoreline slightly more respectable for the hosts.
- Victory sees Brive enhance their tally to 12 points, yet they trail second-placed Worcester Warriors by three points and are nine behind runaway Pool 5 leaders Connacht Rugby, with just one round to play.
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