Scarlets will make only their second ever visit to Bordeaux’s Stade Chabal-Delmas on Saturday, writes Rob Lloyd.
The stadium in the eastern side of France’s famous red wine city is known for its historic players’ tunnel – an incredible 120 metres from changing room to pitch – and, of course, a raucous atmosphere created by the UBB faithful.
The two previous matches between Scarlets and Bordeaux-Bègles came 24 years apart and both were won convincingly by the hosts – the first played in Bègles, the second in Bordeaux.
In 1998, a few weeks after winning 22-10 at Stradey Park, a powerful Scarlets side containing the likes of Stephen Jones, Chris Wyatt, Martyn Madden, Robin McBryde and Nigel Davies were humbled 48-10 at the Stade André Moga.
The most recent encounter between the sides came in the Covid-hit campaign of 2022, when an 18-year-old full-back in a red headguard made his professional debut and announced himself on the world stage with a stunning hat-trick. Three years on, every opponent is now well aware of the threat of Louis Bielle-Barry.
The Scarlets, though, have enjoyed plenty of success on French soil in European competition, flying the flag as the first Welsh side to savour victory across the Channel.
That came in 2000 – a remarkable match in Bourgoin.
A see-sawing contest saw the game finish 36-30 to the men from Llanelli, with Scott Quinnell – who had been physically sick on the touchline moments before kick-off – producing a totemic display from No. 8, overshadowing a youthful Sebastian Chabal in the home ranks.
A year later, Quinnell was at it again, part of a rookie back row that also contained Mike Buckingham and Daf Jones, that helped the Scarlets beat former finalists Colomiers 19-6.
Arguably, the greatest Scarlets result in Europe came during the 2006-07 campaign when a team coached by Phil Davies and including current head coach Dwayne Peel produced a stunning comeback to overcome the galaticos of French rugby, Toulouse, at their Stade Ernest Wallon citadel.
The sight of Kiwi magician Regan King weaving his way through a clutch of defenders to send Nathan Thomas over the match-winning score, to the delight of the hundreds of away supporters, remains an iconic moment in the club’s history.
The wins in France kept coming.
Former champions Brive were beaten in 2010 courtesy of tries by Damian Welch and Morgan Stoddart and the boot of Stephen Jones.
And it was a last-gasp penalty from Jones that secured victory at Castres Olympique’s Stade Pierre Antoine – one of the most fearsome away venues in France – after tries from Matt Gilbert and a breathless length-of-the-field interception from Aaron Shingler had kept an injury-hit Scarlets in the game.
Wing Kristian Phillips was the try-scoring hero as Scarlets upset the odds to beat the Parisian aristocrats of Racing Metro at the Stade Olympique Yves Du Manoir in 2014, then more recently, Aviron Bayonnais have twice been beaten in the Challenge Cup, the last time in January, 2023 when Scarlets went on to reach the semi-finals.
The defending champions on their own patch presents a challenge as tough as any for Welsh rugby’s flag-bearers.
But one thing is for sure, the few hundred Scarlets fans in the 34,000 capacity Chabal-Delmas will make themselves heard as the club’s latest chapter in France unfolds.