Here was a mixture of all the normal emotions you can feel while watching the European Cup, both those reaching down from the glorious history of the competition and the new emotions of a different era.
We had a huge and noisy French crowd in a gorgeous French city, but what a shame that the virus prevented so many from attending. We also had two outstanding clubs playing in a rather disappointing match, which came to a climax after it was level at 10-10, in an absolute barrage of tactical kicking, poor refereeing and in the end, a memorable and yet fortuitous Leicester victory.
The competition is beginning to struggle, so sad to relate. Leicester won without a significant number of their regular starters and even though they relied almost totally on George Ford to give them any sort of tactical shape, then to win away to one of the teams thundering along in the France Top-14 is an achievement.
But the whole of round one had already left a real cold chill blowing through it. The large English representation this weekend have left out of their starting teams a horde of leading players including internationals.
No one can dispute that players need to be rested when they can be but it is blindingly obvious that the Heineken Cup, once seen as easily the greatest event outside international matches, is now slipping down the order of importance in the hearts of the English clubs and others. Its failure to produce millions for the clubs does it no good at all. Nor does the murderous pressure and demands of the fat and boated Test fixture list.
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And as ever when a French team plays an English team in the competition, we rediscover the dearth of outstanding officials who are neither English nor French. Andrew Brace, the referee, was able to conduct an interminable conversation with the Leicester players in his calls but had nothing whatsoever in French to offer the Bordeaux team. This meant that when he was giving his views to the teams on highly technical points and key penalties for such matters as foot placements in the scrum, only one team could take advantage. This is a thundering disgrace and sooner they tell referees who are not bilingual to belt up, the better.
Happily, for the English, those unfamiliar with the offences by Bordeaux received explanations from a member of the Leicester board over the television commentary. At one stage in the second half, Brace shouted: “Arret.” All you could say for him was at least it was a start.
With or without officialdom, you have to say that throughout the first half Leicester looked the more likely winner. Ford gives any team a discipline and a focus and Matt Scott a long-side forward gave Leicester a competitive edge in midfield. In the long-kick exchanges Ford was too good What is more, the Tigers were far more tactically aware and far sharper, and there was nothing much that the veteran former French fly-half, Francois Trinh-Duc could do about it.
Guy Porter scored a delightful try for the Tigers after a double-pump pass from Ford had put Brian Hegarty through. And it took a really excellent try out of the blue by Jean-Baptiste Dubie after two thunderous scrummages by Bordeaux, to bring the scores level at 10-10 at half-time, a half in which Leicester’s Harry Potter and Bordeaux’s Kane Douglas were binned for high shots.
However, Bordeaux lifted themselves mightily in the second half. They were far more focused, they had the better of the scrum where once again, Ellis Genge of Leicester appeared to have problems in asserting himself, Ben Lam began to trouble Leicester with his power down the left wing and Maxime Lucu also varied the play cleverly at scrum-half.
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And even though controversial decisions continued to come, Maxime Lucu made a break which took Bordeaux in front by 13-10, and Bordeaux could have scored a couple more tries with their power at close range.
However, in the sets of long-distance kicking tennis, Ulupano Seuteni conceded field position horribly with a simple knock-on while under no pressure, Ford levelled the scores and then put Leicester in front with a nerve-less penalty from distance.
The Bordeaux forwards had been more dangerous by a distance than Leicester on the drive, but they lost control when they were nearing the Leicester line, after passing up on a shot for an equalising penalty.
Star man: George Ford (Leicester)
Bordeaux-Begles: Try: Dubie 40. Con Lucu. Pens: Lucu (2). Leicester: Try: Porter 20. Con Ford. Pens: Ford (3).
Bordeaux-Begles: N Ducuing (A Roumat 74), F Mori, J-B Dubie, Y Moefana, B Lam, F Trinh-Duc (UJ Seutini 60), M Lucu (A Lesgourgues 53); J Poirot, C Maynadier (J Dweba 48), B Tameifuna (L Kaulashvilli 48), K Douglas (sin-bin 17-27), T Jolmes (Roussel 54), C Woki (S Cordero 74), B Vergnes, L Picamoles
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Leicester Tigers: B Hegarty, H Potter, G Porter (GP Socino 64), M Scott, H Saumaki (sin-bin 33-43, K Murimurivalu 53)), G Ford; J van Poortvliet (R Wigglesworth 53); E Genge, N Dolly (C Clare 60), J Heyes (D Cole 54), O Chessum, C Green (H Wells 60), G Martin, T Reffell, J Wiese (M van Staden 54)
Referee A Brace
