The Fort Worth Press - Stade Francais hold nerve to grab victory at Bordeaux-Begles

The game, between two sides who started the day tied in the table as they battle to secure playoff places, contained nine tries and earned both teams bonus points.

The visitors jumped into a two-try lead in seven minutes. After three minutes winger Peniasi Dakuwaqa swooped to touch down a grubber kick.

Then scrum-half Paul Abadie, a former Bordeaux-Begles player, caught the home defence napping with a quick tapped penalty. After two passes out of tackles, Joe Marchant trotted untouched to the line.

The hosts pressed and visiting fly-half Louis Carbonel received a yellow card after the visitors offended repeatedly defending their line.

Scrum-half Arthur Retiere punished them when he went over from a ruck.

With the Parisians still a man short, Dakuwaqa tried to run the ball from his own line, coughed up the ball and prop Jefferson Poirot pounced to score.

Stade hit straight back, flanker Tanginoa Halaifonua putting them ahead at half time with a try.

Fly half Matthieu Jalibert levelled again in the first minute of the first half, chipping into space and racing through to gather and score. He then booted his third conversion.

Stade's attempts to attack from deep were rewarded when centre Jeremy Ward raced from his own half to score after 44 minutes but Carbonel, who had converted the first two tries, missed.

That meant when fullback Salesi Rayasi went over in the corner in the 47th minute, Joey Carbery was able to boot the hosts ahead for the first time with his successful conversion from the touch line.

Stade hit back again, flanker Yoan Tanga Mangene, who had been on the field three minutes, plunging over after a 67th-minute ruck on the line. Carbonel converted.

G.George--TFWP