Pollard's boot not enough for Montpellier

TOP 14 REPORT: Maxime Lucu kicked a last-minute penalty as Bordeaux-Begles defeated French Top 14 leaders Montpellier 23-22 on Sunday.

The result allowed second-placed Bordeaux to cut the gap to just two points.

Lucu finished the game with a personal haul of 18 points with hooker Maxime Lamothe scoring Bordeaux's only try after seven minutes.

It was a welcome win for a Bordeaux side which had suffered eight defeats in nine matches.

For Montpellier, who have a European Champions Cup quarterfinal date with French rivals La Rochelle in two weeks' time, it was a first home loss since a 20-22 defeat to Clermont in mid-October.

However, they came close to victory in the closing stages of Sunday's game as Bordeaux's discipline deserted them.

A yellow card for back-row forward Mahamadou Diaby in the 64th minute allowed South African star flyhalf Handre Pollard to kick three penalties.

Lock forward Florian Verhaeghe then scored a converted try in the 76th minute as Montpellier edged 22-20 ahead.

But that was the cue for Lucu to boot his nerveless last-gasp penalty to secure the win for Bordeaux.