Damian Penaud, Yannick Bru and Thibault Giroud are not there yet.
They will arrive next summer in Bordeaux.
But, in the meantime, there is a season to finish.
And while we thought that the UBB was heading towards a transition season, without ambition, the victory in La Rochelle (8-12) could well mark a turning point.
By winning at their pet peeve (the UBB remained on six consecutive defeats against the Maritimes), the Bordelais have rejoined the top 6 and, with an affordable calendar, they can look forward to the new year with ambition.
To discover
Fixtures and Top 14 results
Ranking Top 14
The end of the Urios era was good.
The group no longer supported him and it showed on the pitch.
The day after the heavy defeat in Pau (33-7), the UBB had only 20 points and Christophe Urios was fired.
But since then, the improved victory against Brive (33-13) at home and then the surprise success at Marcel-Deflandre against La Rochelle have revived hope among the Girondins.
Defeated twice in the Champions Cup, the UBB should abandon intercontinental competition and concentrate all its forces on the TOP 14.
Two decisive receptions
Interims Lairle and Charrier have kept the essence of Urios' game but, on the pitch, the behavior of the players seems different.
The UBB is playing again as a team, has regained solidity in defense and could achieve a very good operation in the standings by winning its next two games.
By receiving Montpellier then Bayonne in their den of Chaban-Delmas, the Bordeaux people could chain a series of four victories in a row in the Top 14. For them who have not had two consecutive successes throughout the year 2022, a victory against the MHR, Friday (9:00 p.m.), would be welcome to launch the year 2023 in the best possible way.
For this block of four games, which will end at the start of the Six Nations Tournament, the UBB will be able to count on its strong men.
Lucu (substitute this Friday) and Jalibert are back in shape while Tambwe and Moefana (substitute against the MHR) are back from injury.
On the other hand, on the forward side, the many injuries can be important and in particular that of Guido Petti who is missing from the Bordeaux third line.
Following the reception of Bayonne, on January 7, Bordeaux-Bègles will move on to the Stade Français Paris and will challenge a Castres Olympique in difficulty.
Read alsoTop 14: Penaud, Radradra and Willis, it's agitated behind the scenes on the side of the UBB
At the end of January, the UBB could find itself in a very good position before starting a period feared by many: the Six Nations Tournament and its doubling periods.
Many executives will be selected (Jalibert, Lucu, Moefana) and the interim staff will have to manage their absences.
But the UBB has given itself the means to make this transition season an ambitious one.
