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Argentine star Santiago Cordero claims hat-trick as Bordeaux ease past Dragons
Santiago Cordero scored a hat-trick as Bordeaux recorded an impressive 47-8 Heineken Champions Cup victory over the injury-hit Dragons.
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The Argentina wing scored once in the first half and twice after the break to allow the top seeds from France to make it two wins from two to move into third in Pool A.
It meant the Dragons’ long wait for a win in the Heineken Champions Cup continues as they fell to their 12th-successive defeat.
Coming on top of their 24-8 home defeat in the opening round against Wasps, it means the Welsh region are unlikely to progress, while Bordeaux are now well-placed to advance after making it back-to-back wins after their triumph in Northampton last weekend.
The hosts got off to a fortunate start when English referee Christophe Ridley determined that scrum-half Maxime Lucu had not knocked-on from a quick tap penalty.
The Dragons, along with the match commentators, were convinced there was a nudge forward from a finger, but no offence was blown.
Two passes later and skipper and back row Mahamadou Diaby was over in the left corner to score the opening points of the game in the seventh minute.
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Mathieu Jalibert converted superbly off the touchline and the home side were up and running.
The Dragons had lost their skipper for the night, Sam Davies, before kick-off when he was withdrawn due to injury.
That forced Josh Lewis to move from full-back into the number 10 jersey and Will Talbot-Davies came off the bench to play at the back.
To their credit, the visitors did not crumble after conceding and Lewis kicked a penalty to cut the gap in the 11th minute.
But – while the opening quarter went well for them – Dragons conceded two more tries before the break to change ends 19-3 down.
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Cordero was worked over in the right corner after two scrums five metres out and then, in the last play of the half, hooker Maxime Lamothe was worked over in the left corner as Jalibert added the extras.
The home side got a dream start to the second half when Cordero raced to the posts for his second try within 16 seconds of the restart.
To add to the woes of the Welsh region, they were forced to bring on Evan Lloyd to take over from Lewis at outside half and his kick-off was tapped back into play on the left touchline by Rio Dyer.
As the ball bounced infield, Cameron Woki snapped it up, raced up to the 22 and then passed inside to the supporting Cordero.
Jalibert added the extras and then converted a try of his own three minutes later to stretch the lead to 30 points.
Cordero’s hat-trick – the first in the competition by a Bordeaux player – came in the 61st minute after Jalibert made the initial break.
The Dragons grabbed a consolation try through Nick Tompkins, but Ben Lam notched a seventh for the home side to wrap things up.
Comments on RugbyPass
Always reluctant to blame a coach when losses rack up, but Penney must go. The backline is dysfunctional and the coach must carry the can. No cohesion, no idea and in many cases, minimal skill. The trains out of Roma St depart faster than the ball from Crusaders’ set pieces. Wouldn’t be surprised if the forwards went on strike.
1 Go to commentsAdding to earlier comment. Cullen Grace has been playing great at no6. Lio-Willie , who was on fire a few weeks ago, had a bad game. I think Cullen should have been moved to 8 earlier, Dominic Gardiner on earlier. Feel for Quinten Strange , put in a big shift .
4 Go to commentsWe dominated the scrums Ben Curry was all over pitch again .Surely James Harper got to be one of best English tightheads
1 Go to commentsRoos is a better option at 6 than 8 for the boks. Needs to work on his windgat though.
1 Go to commentsThe Sharks’ 2nd team maybe?
1 Go to comments‘radical’
1 Go to commentsCome back to Christchurch Robbie, please!
1 Go to commentsI think there is zero chance Sam Cane will be selected for another Test. There is simply no point except sentimentality. Razor is not sentimental- ask Wyatt Crocket. Razor is a ruthless selector
4 Go to comments> It would be best described as an elegant solution to what was potentially going to be a significant problem for new All Blacks coach Scott Robertson. It is a problem the mad population of New Zealand will have to cope with more and more as All Blacks are able to continue their careers in NZ post RWCs. It will not be a problem for coaches, who are always going to start a campaign with the captain for the next WC in mind. > Cane, despite his warrior spirit, his undoubted commitment to every team he played for and unforgettable heroics against Ireland in last year’s World Cup quarter-final, was never unanimously admired or respected within New Zealand while he was in the role. Neither was McCaw, he was considered far too passive a captain and then out of form until his last world cup where everyone opinions changed, just like they would have if Cane had won the WC. > It was never easy to see where Cane, or even if, he would fit into Robertson’s squad given the new coach will want to be building a new-look team with 2027 in mind. > Cane will win his selections on merit and come the end of the year, he’ll sign off, he hopes, with 100 caps and maybe even, at last, universal public appreciation for what was a special career. No, he won’t. Those returning from Japan have already earned the right to retain their jersey, it’s in their contract. Cane would have been playing against England if he was ready, and found it very hard to keep his place. Perform, and they keep it however. Very easy to see where Cane could have fit, very hard to see how he could have accomplished it choosing this year as his sabbatical instead of 2025, and that’s how it played out (though I assume we now know what when NZR said they were allowing him to move his sabbatical forward and return to NZ next year, they had actually agreed to simply select him for the All Blacks from overseas, without any chance he was going to play in NZ again). With a mammoth season of 15 All Black games they might as well get some value out of his years contract, though even with him being of equal character to Richie, I don’t think they should guarantee him his 100 caps. That’s not what the All Blacks should be about. He absolutely has to play winning football.
4 Go to commentswhat’s happening to Ian Peel?
1 Go to commentsAs a Crusaders fan , so disappointed , again.But I think Fergus Burke was all class for the Crusaders in his first game since October last year. Fletcher Newell , was so good at prop. Johnny McNicoll has been gold since returning from Wales. Noah Hotham brilliant , in a coming of age second season for the Crusaders.Jone Rova did really well at centre. The end of the game was tough.Sevu Reece , what a game/season in tough times.
4 Go to commentsFellas a balloon
3 Go to commentsBlues B team on display and made no race of it. By far the best team in SR with the Hurricanes barely getting past the winning post. Up the Blues 💙
7 Go to commentsWould be amazing to have Servette Genève reaching this level
3 Go to commentsThe Crusaders can't buy a win this season. Surely Penney's contract won't be renewed. There's still enough talent in the squad that they oughta be winning more.
1 Go to commentsABs captain for 23 seasons. Decent record. Surely nobody will surpass it. Legend. But alas a typo…
4 Go to commentsJust FYI Rugbypass, I for one am tired of your clickbait titles and thumbnails and will be clicking them no longer. Good day.
1 Go to commentsI think Farrell despite all of the stick he gets in the media is still one of if not the best fly half in the world. He is literally the full package. He can kick one of the best in the world, probably has the best defensive game of a fly half in the world and if he wants to he can run, take contact and find an offload to keep the pace of the attack. I dont know why he isnt spoken more about still being one of the best in the world with the likes of dupont. Farrell is the ultimate captain and team leader and is experienced- he has been in nearly any situation you can think of. I still believe due to these reasons that he is England’s best ever player and is still one of the best players in the world.
48 Go to commentsBlues are dominating up front and that’s been a long time coming. They have won the up front confrontation which is where canes, hilanders and act brumbies are also strong.
7 Go to commentsJust watched brumbies v safas game sadly not a show in he’ll thryr anywhere near quarters or semi contention. Admittedly some issues around new comers bot what stands out for me is coaching management, poor game planning and accuracy.
5 Go to comments