Bielle-Biarrey strikes twice as Bordeaux win Champions Cup opener in S.Africa

Bielle-Biarrey strikes twice as Bordeaux win Champions Cup opener in S.Africa

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 then touched down in a devastating 24-0 second-half for the French club who go top of Pool 4.

"At half-time we said we had to keep our cool," Jalibert told reporters.

"We had to impose our gameplan and things would open.

"It's a good team win considering what happened in the game," he added

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 an outstanding solo try from Bielle-Biarrey, as well as efforts from Jalibert and Rayasi, claimed the victory.

Four-time winners Leinster hammered a second-string Harlequins 45-28 in Dublin to underline their status as leading contenders for the title.

La Rochelle eased past Leicester 39-20 as France prop Uini Atonio made his first appearance since suffering a hamstring injury in June.

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.

With former England captain Owen Farrell pulling the strings and kicking the goals at fly-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 at Sale as the Scots won in style while Stormers won 26-17 at Bayonne.

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