Match Report – Bordeaux-Beg 41 – 42 Harlequins

Will Porter (two), Will Evans, Alex Dombrandt, Tyrone Inexperienced scored tries, along with a penalty strive, as Harlequins shocked Bordeaux at Stade Chaban-Delmas to achieve Champions Cup semi-finals; Quins will face Toulouse or Exeter Chiefs – who play on Sunday – in final 4

Harlequins produced a surprising upset as they reached the Champions Cup semi-finals by beating French heavyweights Bordeaux-Begles 42-41 in a exceptional sport at Stade Chaban-Delmas.

Quins didn’t progress past the quarter-finals in 4 earlier makes an attempt, and so they arrived in south-west France as rank outsiders to topple a group that had swamped Saracens twice this season, scoring 100 factors.

However a semi-final in opposition to Toulouse or Exeter now awaits after one of many competitors’s traditional video games delivered 12 tries.

Quins full-back Tyrone Inexperienced scored the clincher, though Bordeaux nonetheless had an opportunity to win it, however skipper Maxime Lucu missed the conversion of Madosh Tambwe’s 76th-minute strive.

It was a spectacular triumph, with scrum-half Will Porter scoring two tries, whereas there was additionally a penalty attempt to touchdowns for flanker Will Evans and No 8 Alex Dombrandt.

Marcus Smith kicked 5 conversions, and Bordeaux have been finally thwarted regardless of tries from Lucu, Romain Buros, Nicolas Depoortere, Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Tambwe’s double, with Lucu touchdown 4 conversions and a penalty.

Quins made a blistering begin in 30-degree warmth, gorgeous their hosts by scoring the sport’s opening strive after simply three minutes.

England flanker Chandler Cunningham-South did the laborious yards on his return to motion from damage, punching holes in Bordeaux’s defence, earlier than centre Andre Esterhuizen’s touchline break noticed him discover Porter with a scoring move.

Smith added the conversion and issues rapidly bought even higher for Quins when referee Andrea Piardi awarded them a penalty strive after Smith’s move to an unmarked Louis Lynagh was intentionally knocked on by fly-half Mateo Garcia, who obtained a yellow card.

The sport’s first water-break additionally noticed umbrellas introduced on to guard Bordeaux gamers from the solar and, after being suitably refreshed, they attacked from a close-range line-out earlier than skipper Lucu utilized an emphatic end.

Bordeaux had gone up a gear and so they struck once more six minutes later when a sweeping assault inside Quins’ half was rounded off by Buros, with Lucu’s conversion narrowing the hole to 2 factors.

Romain Buros scored a strive for Bordeaux, as they frequently fought again from huge deficits earlier than lacking out late on

It was a pulsating contest and Quins conjured a memorable strive 10 minutes earlier than half-time simply when it seemed as if Bordeaux had grasped the initiative.

Wing Cadan Murley spun out and in of Bordeaux tackles earlier than discovering Dombrandt, whose inside ball to Porter noticed the scrum-half kick forward and regather for his second landing. Smith’s conversion took Quins previous 20 factors.

And a first-half masterclass concluded from Quins when two reveals of their scrum dominance was adopted by a pushed line-out and Evans dived over for his or her fourth strive, with Smith changing for a 28-12 interval benefit.

Bordeaux knew they needed to rating first within the second half and it took them barely three minutes as Depoortere claimed an excellent solo strive, accumulating a move simply inches off the bottom earlier than brushing apart Quins defenders.

Lucu transformed and Bordeaux have been quickly establishing momentum as a long-range penalty from the captain left them six factors adrift halfway by the third quarter.

Quins, although, knocked Bordeaux backwards as soon as once more, and Dombrandt scored their fifth strive approaching the hour-mark, with Smith’s conversion making it 35-22, just for Bielle-Biarrey to the touch down after Quins’ defence was splintered.

And when Tambwe sprinted over with quarter-hour remaining – Lucu’s conversion put Bordeaux forward for the primary time – the momentum appeared to have shifted, particularly when Quins hooker Sam Riley misplaced management of the ball whereas going over the house line following a ahead drive.

However Inexperienced then struck to revive hopes of a well-known win and hopes have been additional raised when Lucu missed the conversion of Tambwe’s second strive earlier than they ran down the clock and will begin to have a good time an astounding success.

Ulster, Edinburgh knocked out of Problem Cup by Clermont, Sharks

Edinburgh exited the EPCR Problem Cup after struggling a 36-30 quarter-final defeat in opposition to the Sharks in Durban.

Regardless of main narrowly at half-time, Edinburgh have been finally undone by a Sharks group that put poor United Rugby Championship type to at least one facet.

Ulster noticed their hopes of reaching the semi-finals crushed by Clermont at Stade Marcel-Michelin because the French heavyweights ran in seven tries in a 53-14 victory.

Again-row ahead Nick Timoney touched down twice for Ulster, with each scores transformed by scrum-half John Cooney, however the guests had no reply to Clermont’s tempo and all-court sport.

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