Top 14 Semi-Final Preview: La Rochelle vs Bordeaux/Bègles

La Rochelle-Bordeaux/Bèglesthis is the poster for the second semi-final of the Top 14 (with Toulouse-Racing 92), scheduled for this Saturday June 10, 2023 (5 p.m.), at the Anoeta stadium, in San Sebastian (Spain).

Doubles champions d’Europe et 2^th of the regular phase, the Maritimes start as favorites against the Girondins, who finished 6^th of the Top 14 and had to go through a play-off at Lyon (25-32), Sunday June 4, 2023, to reach the last four.

La Rochelle. The same 23 as against Leinster

At Stade Rochelais, you don’t change a winning team. Irish manager Ronan O’Gara has renewed the 23 players who returned Leinster to Dublin (27-26) on May 20 in the Champions Cup final. Released on concussion at Aviva Stadium, the right pillar Georges-Henri Colombe had the medical green light to resume competition.

As usual, he will be the luxury replacement for the French international Win Anthonylined up alongside the hooker Pierre Bourgarit and the left pillar Reda Wardi. A first line 100% XV of France. Touchdowns against Leinster on 2^e line Will Skelton (knee), center Ulupano Seuteni (shoulder) and the 3^e line Levani Botia (finger) are fit and will hold up well against UBB. The usual Dulin-Leyds-Rhule triplet forms the rear triangle, while the hinge is Kerr-Barlow and Hastoy.

The only absentees are Yoan Tanga, injured in an ankle during the last day against Stade Français, and Pierre Popelin, injured in a calf, the same day, during warm-up. Matthias Haddad (ankle) and Teddy Thomas (calf) are in the recovery phase.

Bordeaux-Begles. Jolmes and Falatea holders

On the UBB side, the main absentee is the South African second line Jandré Marais, victim of a major knee sprain with rupture of the cruciate ligaments, during the play-off won in Lyon. He is replaced in the cage by the French international Thomas Jolmesabsent from the match sheet against LOU, and adds to the long-time absentees Alban Roussel (cervical), Guido Petti (meniscus), Antoine Miquel (cervical) and Pablo Dimcheff (sprained knee).

The French international World Civil War is aligned on the front line alongside Jefferson Poirot and Maxime Lamothe. He replaces veteran Moldovan Vadim Cobilas, who was dropped from the match sheet, since Ben Tameifuna, back from a finger injury, was preferred to him on the bench. Otherwise, the starting XV of the UBB remains unchanged compared to the team which won in Lyon, in the play-off.

The rear triangle is formed by Bielle-Biarrey (without his red helmet), Cordero and the Tambwe rocket, while Dubié and Moefana are associated in the center. The international hinge Lucu-Jalibert is renewed, as is the trio Bochaton, Willis and Diaby in the third line. On the bench, Basque scrum-half Hugo Zabalza was preferred to Yann Lesgourgues.

This second Top 14 semi-final between La Rochelle and Bordeaux-Bègles is to follow, this Saturday June 10, 2023 (5 p.m.) on Canal+.

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