Match Centre: Bordeaux Begles 13-16 Leicester Tigers

Bordeaux Begles 13-16 Leicester Tigers, Stade Chaban-Delmas

George Ford contributed with 11 points as Leicester Tigers edged out Bordeaux Begles 16-13 in the Heineken Champions Cup campaign at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday.

The result also meant Leicester Tigers are yet to lose a game this season having won all their nine matches in the Gallagher Premiership.

An early line out penalty against Leicester allowed Bordeaux to get the opening points with Maxime Lucu slotting the three-pointer in the third minute. Leicester's response came in the 17th minute with Ford dissecting the posts with an accurate kick.

The home side were reduced to 14 players temporarily in the 18th minute as Kane Douglas was sin-binned for a high tackle on lock Ollie Chessum and the Tigers immediately made use of the numerical advantage with Ford delaying his pass before releasing Bryce Hegarty, who allowed Guy Porter to score the opening try.

Ford also kicked the conversion as the visitors had a 3-10 lead at the end of the opening quarter.

Just as Douglas returned from the sin-bin, Leicester were punished for their infringement Hosea Saumaki in the 34th minute for an illegal tackle in the air and at the stroke of half time Bordeaux ensured the scores were levelled. It was Lucu, who found Yoram Moefana as he set up the try for Jean-Baptiste Dubie. Lucu also slotted the extras making it 10-10.

Leicester thought they scored their second try after the break but a knock on from Porter meant the scores continued to remain level at 10-10. Ford missed his third penalty in front of the posts in the 49th minute as Leicester were still searching for their first points in the second half.

Nevertheless, a penalty in the ruck allowed Lucu to put the French side in front as the game entered the final quarter. With 11 minutes left in the game, a scrum-penalty allowed Ford to level the scores. With all the three results possible, Leicester earned another penalty kick at 40m distance and Ford showed all his experience to ensure Leicester edged away with a three-point victory.

Team line up:

Bordeaux-Begles: Ducucing; Mori, Duie, Moefana, Lam; Trinh-Duc, Lucu; Poirot, Maynadier, Tameifuna, Douglas, Jolmes, Woki, Vergnes, Picamoles.

Reserves: Dweba, Paiva, Kaulashvili, Roussel, Roumat, Lesgourgues, Seuteni, Cordero.

Leicester: Hegarty: Potter, Porter, Scott, Saumaki; Ford, Van Poortvliet; Genge, Dolly, Heyes, Chessum, Green, Martin, Reffell, Wiese.

Reserves: Clare, Whitcombe, Cole, Wells, Van Staden, Wigglesworth, Socino, Murimurivalu