Vainqueure poussive de Perpignan, l’UBB avait déjà la tête à la finale de la Coupe des champions : «On a frisé le ridicule pendant une bonne mi-temps» – L’Équipe

Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) secured a victory over Perpignan on May 16, 2026, during the 24th round of the Top 14 season.

Despite the positive result, the performance was described as labored, with the team struggling to maintain its usual standards throughout the match.

The struggle was significant enough that the team’s effort was characterized as having frisé le ridicule pendant une bonne mi-temps, suggesting that UBB flirted with a ridiculous level of play for a substantial portion of the game.

Analysis of the match indicates that UBB nearly faced a catastrophe on the pitch, as the team appeared disconnected and struggled to find its rhythm against Perpignan.

Reports suggest the primary cause for this dip in form was a lack of mental focus on the domestic league. The team’s attention was reportedly already centered on the upcoming Champions Cup final in Bilbao.

This distraction created a challenging dynamic for the squad, as the prestige and pressure of the European final in Bilbao seemed to overshadow the immediate requirements of the Top 14 fixture.

The match was eventually salvaged by key individual contributions. Louis Bielle-Biarrrey and Marko Gazzotti are credited with waking up the UBB side and driving them toward the eventual win.

The intervention of Bielle-Biarrrey and Gazzotti proved decisive in ensuring that the team did not succumb to their early-game lapses in concentration.

While the victory allows UBB to maintain its momentum in the Top 14, the nature of the win serves as a reminder of the difficulty of balancing high-stakes domestic competition with European ambitions.

UBB now shifts its full attention to the Champions Cup final in Bilbao, seeking to translate its European ambitions into a title.