Bielle-Biarrey double helps Bordeaux-Begles open Champions Cup defence with Bulls win / Photo: © AFP
Bielle-Biarrey double helps Bordeaux-Begles open Champions Cup defence with Bulls win
Winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored twice as holders Bordeaux-Begles began the defence of their Champions Cup title with a 46-33 comeback win over the Bulls in South Africa.
France's Bielle-Biarrey crossed either side of the break as the Top 14 club trailed 33-22 at half-time in Pretoria.
Lock Boris Palu, fly-half Matthieu Jalibert and replacement full-back Salesi Rayasi touched down in the second-half for the French club to go top of Pool 4.
The Bulls raced to an impressive lead at the interval before going scoreless in the second-half and claimed a bonus point for scoring four tries or more.
Sebastian de Klerk, Reinhardt Ludwig, Akker van der Merwe, Canan Moodie and Jeandre Rudolph guided the hosts to their half-time lead.
Palu powered over eight minutes into the second-half before Bielle-Biarrey and a wonder solo try, as well as efforts from Jalibert and Rayasi claimed the victory.
Earlier, three-time winners Saracens opened their campaign by routing visiting Clermont 47-10.
The English club pinned back their French visitors, three-time losing finalists.
The hosts took the lead after 10 minutes when Elliott Daly's kick bounced nicely for Argentina centre Lucio Cinti.
Clermont stopped a second Saracens try on 20 minutes at the expense of a yellow card for flanker Anthime Hemery. They survived the numerical disadvantage but then cracked, leaking three tries in seven minutes as Saracens locked up a bonus point by the break.
Cinti scooted through for his second. Max Malins, helped by a freakish bounce on his kick ahead, touched down. Hooker James Hadfield bashed over on the stroke of half time.
Clermont's 19-year-old fullback Axel Guillaud broke a limp tackle to score early in the second half.
Saracens hit back at once as another 19-year-old, highly-rated English winger Noah Caluori, cut through the Clermont defence.
Harry Plummer squirmed over for a late Clermont try. Again that provoked a home reaction and flanker Hugh Tizard and replacement hooker Theo Dan touched down for the hosts.
On Friday, Glasgow earned a bonus-point 26-21 victory away to Sale as the Scots won in style while Stormers won 26-17 at Bayonne.
D.Meyer--BP
