News

Stade continue strong start

September 26 2008

Stade Français made it six wins out of six in the Top 14 as they defeated Bourgoin 32-25 at Stade des Alpes on Friday.

In a match played at Grenoble's football stadium that brought in double the usual Bourgion support, both teams clearly enjoyed the immaculate playing surface with attack the order of the night.

Table-topping Stade started the contest strongly but it was loose pass from IRB Player of the Year nominee Sergio Parisse that got the crowd to their feet as wing Rudi Coetzee capitalised on the vacant ball to intercept and score on five minutes.

But the Parisians aren't heading the pile for nothing and quickly responded through converted full-back Lionel Beauxis, who slotted a penalty to cut the lead to four soon after.

And that kick seemed to pick up Stade's efforts as a slick break from the talismanic Juan Martin Hernandez led to gaps on the Bourgoin fringes which Julien Arias exploited to race through and push his side ahead for the first time.

Then Argentine Hernandez sat back and swung a lazy drop-goal from 40-plus metres to stretch the lead to nine - much to the crowd's jeers.

However, Sébastien Laloo responded immediately with a penalty goal, which he followed up with another three points to bring matters back to 16-13.

But then another drop, this time a hefty strike from Beauxis, stretched the scores to 19-13 five minutes before the break that coach Christophe Dominici applauding.

But the former wing's claps turned to rapturous whistles a moment later when smooth hands down the right led to debutant and rugby league convert Mark Gasnier strolling over in the corner, with Beauxis converting.

Upon their return both sides were cagier than the first period and when Laloo narrowed the gap to ten it promised to be a nail-biter.

However, the fly-half should have doubled his second-half account ten minutes later but he shaved the left upright. He did make amends going into the last quarter as he landed a fine touchline effort to bring the scores to 19-26.

Soon after though, Hernandez left the home coaches scratching their heads as he dropped another long-ranger to push their hosts ten behind once again with seven minutes remaining.

But Laloo kept his nerve with a final kick in Grenoble as he grabbed a losing bonus point as consolation.

The scorers:

For Bourgoin:

Tries: Coetzee

Con: Laloo

Pen: Laloo 5

For Stade:

Tries: Arias, Gasnier

Con: Beauxis 2

Pen: Beauxis 3

Drop: Hernandez 2, Beauxis

Referee: Franck Maciello

Touch judges: Eric Briquet Campin, Hervé Gilard

Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier