Bordeaux-Beggars defeated Stade Français Paris 40:10 in the Top 14 on Sunday evening. The hosts opened their campaign with a commanding performance at home, while the visitors struggled to find any rhythm against a side that had lost their previous outing. The result moves Bordeaux-Beggars to five points and keeps Stade Français on four after two rounds.
The home side came out with purpose, scoring early and never looking back. Stade Français had shown promise in their 28:26 victory over Perpignan the week before, but could not replicate that form against a more disciplined Bordeaux-Beggars. The visitors let the game flow too freely and paid for it.
Our prediction had backed the hosts with 79 per cent confidence, and the forecast proved correct. Bordeaux-Beggars had the edge in recent form, particularly their 64:5 demolition of Racing 92, and they used that momentum to overwhelm their opponents. The prediction was not a guess but a reading of the data, and the data held true.
Stade Français now find themselves in a difficult position. They sit 11th in the table, one point behind the hosts despite having played the same number of games. Their loss to Clermont on Wednesday was followed by this heavier defeat, and the gap between them and the top half is beginning to look wider.
Bordeaux-Beggars, meanwhile, have shown they can compete at this level. Their previous defeat to Stade Toulousain looked like an anomaly rather than a pattern. They have hit a wall after that loss, but this result suggests they are ready to move on.
