Yannick Bru (manager of Bordeaux-Bègles, winner of Saracens (45-12) and qualified for the quarter-final of the Champions Cup): “The lock was hard to break. 10-0 at half-time, it still felt like a disaster scenario with three or four tries refused, the referee is always right... But we were constant in our effort and finally the Saracens gave in. It was a completely different match (from that of January, a large 55-15 victory) which was resolved from the moment the English let go a little.
At the break, I told the players to continue to stick to the plan, to continue to have the same intensity, to play every minute as if it were the last. We have a slightly stressful start to the 2nd half because they have the opportunity to get back to 10-3, they miss a penalty and leave us in a fairly comfortable scenario. But it was a tough match, nervously, physically, in intensity. The score does not reflect the gap between the two teams but it reflects our entrepreneurial spirit which was superior to that of Saracens. Our guys are chewed up but happy, we’re taking it.”