Samoa's Seuteni guides Bordeaux-Begles to Top 14 semis / Photo: ROMAIN PERROCHEAU - AFP
Samoa's Seuteni guides Bordeaux-Begles to Top 14 semis
Samoa centre UJ Seuteni scored a try and set-up another to send Bordeaux-Begles into next weekend's French Top 14 semi-finals after Sunday's 36-16 home play-off win over Racing 92.
Seuteni's key interventions came in the second-half as he crossed for his joint-leading 11th league try of the season before he assisted Romain Buros.
Bordeaux-Begles will face Montpellier in next Sunday's last four, 24 hours after regular season table-toppers Castres play local rivals Toulouse, with both games in Nice.
At Stade Chaban-Delmas, the scores were level after 20 minutes as the hosts' France scrum-half Maxime Lucu and Racing's youngster Nolann Le Garrec traded penalties.
The Parisians, 2016 champions, led at the break as Max Spring's try, converted by 20-year-old Le Garrec, came in response to Argentina winger Santiago Cordero's effort.
Le Garrec kicked another penalty to make it 13-8 on 43 minutes before the home side took firm hold of the fixture with three tries in the space of 11 minutes.
Seuteni, 28, scored after a Yoram Moefana break, then provided the final touch for Buros before Les Bleus back-rower Cameron Woki galloped over with a little over quarter of the game to play.
Bordeaux-Begles comfortably led 29-16 and with the 30,000-strong Chaban-Delmas crowd delirious former New Zealand Sevens winger Ben Lam made sure of their place in the semi with a 79th effort.
Earlier, France full-back Melvyn Jaminet scored 26 points to keep Perpignan in the Top 14 as the Catalans beat second-tier Mont-de-Marsan 41-16 in a play-off.
Jaminet's club became the first top-flight side to win the fixture since it was introduced in 2018 before the Test goal-kicker joins French champions Toulouse next season.
Q.Davis--CT
