IAN MADIGAN SAID he is looking forward to a sustained run at out-half after getting his Bordeaux-Begles career off to a flying start at the weekend.
Madigan kicked all five penalties in their 15-9 win over reigning champions Racing 92 at Stade Chaban-Delmas to send the home support in the crowd of 22,771 into raptures.
The 27-year old said has plenty to work on in his new career in France but was pleased with the way things went on his Top 14 debut.
Madigan’s only miss of the night came in the final play from inside his own half as they wound down the clock.
“It’s going to take a little time adjusting to the game here in France and also to the players around you. It’s one thing seeing them in training but it’s a different thing seeing them going full contact in a competitive game, so I’ll learn a lot from this game.
“That’s the challenge for me, a new competition, playing in new stadiums against different players, but I’m looking forward to it,” said the 27-year old.
He wasn’t the only Irishman to make an impressive debut at Stade Chaban-Delmas on Saturday night as former Clontarf scrum-half James Hart did well after his move from Grenoble, partnering Dan Carter.
Carter missed his opening kick but the superb condition he is in was apparent when sprinted back to prevent home winger Nans Ducuing scoring an intercept from deep in one of the few try scoring chances of the night.
“He showed some turn of pace to catch our winger,” noted Madigan. “He showed he still has that area of his game with everything else.
“He’s a class act and he shows his value over a season. They have real depth, a big squad and I have no doubt they will be competing in the barrage at the end of the season,” he added.
Madigan, whose opening half efforts saw them lead 6-3 at the break, said that there was huge pressure on Bordeaux-Begles to win their opening game of the season at home, and he hopes they can now build on it when they make the two-hour journey to Toulouse next weekend.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance, it was never going to be, first game up, but we will look to build on that.
“It was great to get the win first off, that immediately takes the pressure off us going to Toulouse next week. We can go down there now and look to get the scalp, but if we had lost this one it would have put us under massive pressure,” added Madigan, whose side held on despite having captain Louis-Benoit Madaule red-carded for a tip tackle on Racing full-back Brice Dulin in the closing stages.
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