Bayonne make it three
Sat, 06 Sep 2008 00:30
As they sang Basque songs in Stade Jean-Dauger, Bayonne recorded their third successive win in a grand start to the Top 14. Clermont Auvergne, who last season, had a record run of victories, slumped to their second defeat.
In fact the Auvergnats were well beaten. Bayonne scrummed much better than they did, were far superior in the line-outs, won the tackle with captain Rémy Martin in the van, were more creative, handled better and conceded fewer penalties.
All that suggests that the Basques should have won by more. They should have. The Clermont defence was one obstacle; the other was their poor goal-kicking for the first half and much of the game. Manny Edmunds, so good last week, missed four this week,
It certainly was a victory much deserved and the sky blue and white flags flew joyously about the stands.
Brock James opened the scoring for the visitors when Filimone Bolavucu hung onto the ball on the ground. 3-0 after 13 minutes. By that time Edmunds had missed his first penalty. He went on to miss another three in the half - and a drop attempt that did not even reach the goal-line. Fortunately for the home side, after they had attacked down the left, the ball came back to Craig Gower and the Australian dropped the goal which saw the scores level at the break.
When long-haired Fabien Alexandre was penalised - not for the last time - at a tackle Edmunds at last goaled. It was from in front and the ball flew true. 6-3 after 46 minutes.
Bayonne were running the ball and testing the defence but again it was Alexandre who gave them the chance to score when again he was penalised at a tackle. 9-3 after 49 minutes.
Clermont Auvergne, with Pierre Mignoni a lively substitute, started to run with the ball and attacked till Alexandre was penalised for going in at the side.
Bayonne had greater and greater dominance as the half went on. When they shattered a brittle Clermont scrum, Clermont were penalised for being offside. The kick was right in front and Edmunds made it 12-3 after 64 minutes.
Two high tackles gave James the chance to get his side back into the game. He goaled the first one by Denis Avril (12-6 after 68 minutes) but missed the second three minutes later when Edmunds jumped up to tackle Alexandre high.
That was the last chance Clermont had of scoring.
Rob Linde of Bayonne won a Clermont throw into a line-out on Bayonne's right and they went wide with long passes. Sam Gerber picked one off his toes to give to Bolavucu who went flying down on his left. The cover was about to get him when he played inside to Julien Peyras and the tall fullback ran over the 22 and on to the goal-line for the try that sewed up the match and denied Clermont Auvergne even a bonus defensive point.
One try was not a great reward for all the effort. Maybe it was the passing shower early in the game that decided that tries were not on.
Scorers:
For Bayonne:
Try: Bolavucu
Pens: Edmunds: 3
Drop: Gower
For Clermont Auvergne:
Pens: James 2
Teams
Bayonne: 15 Julien Peyras-Loustalet, 14 Benjamin Lhande, 13 Sam Gerber, 12 Craig Gower, 11 Filimone Bolavucu, 10 Manny Edmonds, 9 Cédric Garcia, 8 Julien Puricelli, 7 Rémy Martin (captain), 6 Guillaume Bernad, 5 Mikaera Tewhata, 4 Rob Linde, 3 Rodney Blake, 2 David Roumieu, 1 Pierre-Philippe Lafond
Replacements: 16 Matias Cortese, 17 Avril, 18 Aretz Iguiniz, 19 Nicolas Lafitte, 20 Marc Baget, 21 Johnny Howard, 22 Ben Fall, 23 Mathieu Maillard
Clermont Auvergne: 15 Anthony Floch, 14 Julien Malzieu, 13 Marius Joubert, 12 S Baï, 11 Napolioni Nalaga, 10 Brock James, 9 John Senio, 8 Elvis Vermeulen (captain), 7 Fabien Alexandre, 6 Julien
Bonnaire, 5 Christophe Samson, 4 Julien Pierre, 3 Davit Zirakashvili, 2 Mario Ledesma Arocena, 1 Laurent Emmanuelli
Replacements: 16 Mirko Lozupone, 17 Thomas Domingo, 18 Lois Jacquet, 19 Alexandre Audebert, 20 Pierre Mignoni, 21 Pierre Manuel Garcia, 22 Arnaud Mignardi, 23 Simms Davison
Referee: Jean-Pierre Matheu
Touch judges: Fernand Pereira, Frédéric Ducatez
Assessor: Jean-Marie Peyramaure, Michel Lamoulie
Television match official: Jean-Claude Levrier
