Pau secure bonus‑point victory over Leicester with late tries

Pau opened their Champions Cup campaign with a 41‑17 triumph over Leicester Tigers, earning a bonus point in Pool One. Portugal international Rodrigo Marta scored two of Pau’s five tries, while a late surge added three more scores to seal the win.

Leicester fell behind early after a Pau penalty, but their tactical kicking gave them good field position. Billy Searle’s 50‑22 kick set up captain Ollie Chessum, who returned from a foot injury to score the Tigers’ first try. Despite the early promise, Pau responded with a flurry of three tries in a 20‑minute spell around the break, demonstrating their quality.

The first‑half drama included a disallowed try by Sacha Zegueur for a knock‑on, followed by Marta and prop Jon Zebala crossing the line. After the interval, Marta broke through again from 30 metres to extend Pau’s lead. Leicester’s Archie van der Flier scored in the corner to bring the score within seven points, but that proved to be the last time the Tigers were within reach of a losing bonus point. Pau then added 17 unanswered points.

Fly‑half Axel Desperes contributed another penalty, Theo Attissogbe sent winger Aaron Grandidier Nkanang over unchallenged in the corner, and Fabien Brau‑Boirie intercepted a Leicester pass for the final try.

Leicester’s remaining Pool One fixtures are against Clermont Auvergne, Glasgow Warriors and Leinster.

**Pau line‑up:** Attissogbe; Laporte; Marta; Brau‑Boirie, Grandidier Nkanang; Desperes, Souverbie; Etchebehere, Delhommel, Zabala, Jolmes, Capelli, Zegueur, Credoz (capt), Vergnes‑Taillefer.
Replacements: Caperaa, Parrou, Papidze, Picquette, Grondona, Isa, Garcia, Valentino.

**Leicester line‑up:** Steward; Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hassell‑Collins; Searle, Whiteley; Van der Flier, Blamire, Sclavi, Henderson, Chessum (capt), Carnduff, Moro, Cracknell.
Replacements: Moli, Vunipola, Hurd, Thompson, Thomas, Van Poortvliet, Woodward, Hamer‑Webb.

Referee: Eoghan Cross (Ireland) with assistants Robbie Jenkinson and Andrew Cole (Ireland) and TMO Olly Hodges (Ireland).