The Albany Gazette - Bordeaux hammer Racing in Top 14 start as Bielle-Biarrey extends deal

Bielle-Biarrey celebrated by notching his 65th and 66th tries in 84 matches as the 23-year-old signed a two-year extension to 2029.

The hosts started like a team determined to make amends for last season's drab Top 14 season, when they failed to make the play-offs.

It took them just three minutes to move in front through prop Sipili Falatea.

It was 26-0 after 15 minutes as Cameron Woki scored twice and fellow back-rower Pierre Bochaton also crossed.

Racing, whose last competitive game was a humiliating 71-17 semi-final defeat to champions Toulouse in June, have now conceded 20 tries and 135 points in their last two matches.

Even though Bordeaux lost Georgian prop Lasha Pkhakadze to the Top 14's first 20-minute orange card, English new signing Tom Willis extended their first-half lead with two more tries.

Maxime Lucu, who also kicked eight conversions, and Tongan Toma'akino Taufa added the seventh and eighth tries within six minutes of the restart.

Between Bielle-Biarrey's customary scores, Australian lock Seru Uru finally put Racing onto the scoreboard, to make up for fumbling the ball over the line in the first half.

- Steady Simmonds -

English fly-half Joe Simmonds kicked three conversions and two penalties as Pau stunned last season's beaten finalists Montpellier 27-19 away.

Montpellier made life difficult for themselves as they were reduced to 13 men, with props Baptiste Erdocio and Luka Japaridze yellow-carded inside eight minutes.

But the hosts held their visitors to 10 points during their two-man disadvantage. When captain Yacouba Camara scored a try on 56 minutes, Montpellier went in front for the first time, 19-17.

Simmonds converted a try from Australian full-back Jack Maddocks and then added a penalty to deny their hosts even a losing bonus point as they lost their opening match for the third season in a row.

South African centre Jeremy Ward scored a try as last season's beaten semi-finalists Stade Francais held off a storming second-half comeback to pip Perpignan 28-26.

The game seemed over at half-time as Tanginoa Halaifonua, Ryan Chapuis, Leo Barre and Ward all went over for the Parisians.

Lock Adrien Warion pulled one back for the Catalans, and wing Theo Forner added a second as Italy fly-half Paolo Garbisi, a new signing from Toulon, kicked the conversion to bring Perpignan within a whisker of a shock victory.

There were also stirring second-half fightbacks from Clermont at Lyon and Vannes at Castres, but like Perpignan, both came up short.

Full-back Gabin Lorre scored two tries, including the opening one of the whole season, as Lyon stretched out a 37-10 lead over Clermont after 53 minutes as fly-half Leo Berdeu kicked 17 points.

Replacement back-row forward Kevin Noah also scored a brace and New Zealander AJ Lam crossed after the final hooter with his compatriot Harry Plummer kicking the subsequent conversion to snatch a losing bonus point in a 40-36 reverse.

New Zealander Jack Goodhue scored as Castres romped into a 29-6 lead over Vannes, before the newly-promoted Bretons hit back with two tries to deny their hosts an attacking bonus point in a 29-20 success.

South African fly-half Robert Du Preez's late penalty proved the difference as Bayonne began their campaign with a 27-26 victory over Toulon.

(N.Miller--TAG)