Sometime France scrumhalf Maxime Lucu somehow turned a botched penalty opportunity into a successful drop goal in a bizarre incident last night in the Top 14.
Seventh-placed Bordeaux faced off against Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle in fifth in a closely contested match at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. Both teams were evenly matched for the most part and put in strong performances, but it was Bordeaux who ultimately emerged victorious with a hard-fought 12-8 win.
The match got off to a tight start, with both teams trading blows in the early stages. Bordeaux took an early lead with a well-struck penalty kick, but La Rochelle responded with a try to level the score.
As the match wore on, Bordeaux began to assert their dominance, with some strong running and accurate kicking putting them in control of the game. La Rochelle fought back bravely, but Bordeaux’s defence held strong and they were able to secure a number of crucial turnovers.
However, it was a weird penalty kick by Lucu that caught the eye. Lucu struck the penalty attempt which hit an upright. It bounced down into the hands of a La Rochelle defender, who duly booted it back up the pitch, straight back into the hands of Lucu.
The sometimes France nine didn’t need to be asked twice and seeing space in front of him, dropkicked his missed kick right back over the bar, taking the unlikely second chance that fell into his lap.
#BoxingDayRubgy
Ne vous embêtez pas à commander un tee au Père Noël faites comme @LucuMaxime ?C’est tellement plus simple un drop ??Faites un don, 1€ = 1 repas ?? ? https://t.co/FRvB3dYRkf pic.twitter.com/dZHTKB2lSO
— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) December 24, 2022
Luca joined Bordeaux Begles in 2019, having signed from Biarritz where he’d been since 2014. He has since helped lead the team to numerous victories in the Top 14 and the European Rugby Challenge Cup. In addition to his club career, Maxime has also represented France at the international level, earning his first cap for the French national team in 2021. He has 10 caps to date.
