Saracens bow out of Champions Cup after defeat to Bordeaux

Bordeaux 45-12 Saracens: The French side romped to victory scoring six tries

(AFP via Getty Images)

Saracens bowed out of this year’s Investec Champions Cup despite a brave defensive performance for an hour in a 45-12 defeat at Bordeaux.

Once the victory was assured for Bordeaux they ran riot, scoring six tries in all, to set up a home quarter-final against Harlequins next week.

The French side were denied no fewer than five first-half tries by TMO and assistant referee decisions, but outside half Mateo Garcia scored two tries either side of the half-time interval to settle his side’s nerves.

Both sides were without key men at outside half, Owen Farrell for Saracens and Matthieu Jalibert for Bordeaux.

Bordeaux also had the confidence of putting 55 points on their English opponents in the group stages, showing their early threat with wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey and prop Ben Tameifuna both coming within inches of scoring tries.

French fly half Mateo Garcia scores his second try for Bordeaux (AFP via Getty Images)

Bielle-Biarrey ran out of space following a kick, while Tameifuna could not quite ground the ball over the line, a forward pass by Damian Penaud meant a third effort was also called back after full back Romain Buros had crossed the line.

That meant Saracens were the bounce of a ball away from opening the scoring when an Alex Goode grubber evaded wing Alex Lewington, before Bordeaux were again denied by the TMO, who adjudged crossing had provided space for Bielle-Biarrey to go over.

It all meant it took around half-an-hour to open the scoring, Maxime Lucu taking a simple penalty chance following a Saracens offside, before another TMO decision prevented a Bordeaux try from the kick off.

The visitors lost lock Maro Itoje for 10 minutes following a deliberate knock on and that allowed Bordeaux to register their first counting try of the game, Buros making the break out wide and outside half Garcia picking up and finishing off.

Goode had the chance to whittle down that lead with a penalty at the start of the second half, but he hit the outside of the post from 40 yards.

Saracens were outclassed in France (AFP via Getty Images)

Instead the breaks suddenly went the way of Bordeaux, number eight Tevita Tatafu managing to keep the ball alive before going to touch, the ball ricocheting off the knee of defender Ben Earl and being touched down over the line by Garcia.

Bordeaux snuffed out any remaining hope for the visitors as scrum power put Saracens on the back foot, allowing Garcia and right wing Damian Penaud to combine to put centre Nicolas Depoortere under the posts.

Bielle-Biarrey soon added a fourth from a loose ball bouncing off the head of centre Yoram Moefana, Lucu maintaining his perfect kicking record.

With the result in the bag Depoortere added his second from a slick tap penalty move, before Lewington grabbed a consolation try for the English team.

Bielle-Biarrey added his second to rub salt in the Saracens wounds, Tom Willis responding for the away side but it was too little too late.

Defending champions La Rochelle scraped through to the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals after Manie Libbok missed a last-gasp conversion for Stormers in the 22-21 away victory.

Libbok kicked 11 points and had the chance to dump out the holders after Suleiman Hartzenberg’s 79th-minute try, but dragged his conversion just wide.

The South Africa international fly-half put Stormers ahead with two penalties and they took advantage of Will Skelton’s yellow card as Herschel Jantjies scored their first try, Libbok adding the extras. He then extended their lead with another penalty 10 minutes into the second half for a 15-0 advantage.

La Rochelle raced back into the game through a Louis Penverne try, with Antoine Hastoy converting, before the fly-half added a penalty.

The French side took the lead through Gregory Alldritt’s converted try before Joel Sclavi added another touchdown before the late drama saw La Rochelle squeeze through.

A dominant Bulls scored nine tries to secure their spot in the last eight after thrashing Lyon 59-19.

Tries from Sebastian de Klerk, Embrose Papier and Marcell Coetzee gave Bulls the early advantage, with Johan Goosen adding the extras for all three.

Martin Page-Relo put Lyon on the board at the half-hour mark as Paddy Jackson converted but Ruan Vermaak extended Bulls’ advantage three minutes later with a converted try as they led 28-7 at the break.

An energetic start to the second half saw Lyon hit back through a penalty try, which saw Bulls centre Canan Moodie sin binned as a result but the hosts quickly added two more tries through Willie le Roux and Papier, with Goosen only able to convert the latter before Thaakir Abrahams crossed for Lyon.

Bulls ran away with the game as David Kriel and Chris Smith crossed within four minutes of each other and Smith kicked the extras before de Klerk added his second of the afternoon with three minutes to go.