The five-minute sequence at the beginning of the second period is telling: the English finally managed to score when Louie Hennessey stretched his arm to place the ball on the line, but before that, they kept trying, over and over, without breaking through the defense set up by the locals. “This action made us doubt. We ended up deciding to move the ball because we couldn’t get through, they defended really well,” sighed Charlie Ewels, the second row from Bath.
In the first half, the UBB also managed to bend without breaking too much, facing an opponent who often confined them to their own half. At halftime, many players had already made more than ten tackles. Marko Gazzotti, likely in the running for man of the match, was replaced as early as the 52nd minute, matched by the 16 tackles he had made, turnovers, and endless contests. He and his teammates finished with only seven penalties conceded and three stolen lineouts.
100 more tackles
“The defense is a fundamental sector,” said manager Yannick Bru. “Montpellier scored two tries on their two possessions in our five meters. You saw the commitment of our team in front of the line, the repetition of Bath’s attacks&ellipsis; There was a level of bravery and commitment that the guys managed to achieve. I am very proud of that. It’s true that we defended very well. Every player gave their all for the team.”
The Union made 100 more tackles than Bath, with over 90% success rate in this exercise, compared to only 76% for the English champions. The backs also got involved, like Arthur Retière and Maxime Lucu, each with a turnover, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, valuable for his returns, and Matthieu Jalibert, who brought down eleven opponents in as many attempts, further confirming his immense progress in this area.
