Biarritz win in the wind
Mon, 06 Sep 2010 10:22
Head down: Scrumhalf Dimitri Yachvili was in fine form with the boot
At last Biarritz looked like the achievers that should be. They beat log-leaders Stade Français 19-11 at Parc des Sports d'Aguilera in Biarritz on Sunday evening. The sides each scored a try.
Biarritz won it - or Stade Français lost it - in the first half.
There was a wind blowing and Stade Français made first use of the wind. They had an additional advantage late in the first half when Biarritz hooker Benoît August was sent to the sin bin for stomping. But the half ended 6-6. Biarritz would then be sailing with the wind.
For the early part of the first half both sides played with the ball in hand, more so than in most Top 14 rugby but with the score at 6-all after 27 minutes, the amount of kicking increased.
In fact it was not like a French match as there was no fighting and hardly a dropped goal, but Imanol Harinordoquy managed to sit down for medical attention as he inevitably does.
Stade Français scored first when scrumhalf Julien Dupuy kicked a penalty from just inside the Biarritz half. Soon afterwards Dimitri Yachvili levelled the scores after a tackle infringement.
Dupuy had a great break from a lineout but the defence held and then Stade Français destroyed a Biarritz scrum to win a penalty. Dupuy goaled the easy penalty but again Yachvili levelled the scores after a tackle infringement.
After a bout of poor kicking, Biarritz went into phases and flyhalf Jean-Pascal Barraque broke. In fact he was the best attacking back on the field.
Just after August was sent off to the sin bin, Dupuy was helped off with what looked like and ankle injury and Yachvili missed a penalty opportunity.
Early in the second half Sergio Parisse succumbed to the handling malaise and knocked on. Barraque broke and was close but Stade Français had a defensive scrum. They won it only for Mathieu Basteraude to knock on and yield another five-metre scrum. Yachvili broke right and was stopped by Parisse with a brilliant tackle right at the line but Manuel Carizza picked up the ball in his huge hand and scored. 13-6 after 42 minutes.
Biarritz spent most of the half attacking. Barraque broke again and then Noel Oelschig, on for Dupuy, tackled Harinordoquy without the ball and was sent to the sin bin. Yachvili goaled. 16-6 after 48 minutes.
Biarritz attacked again and Sylvain Marconnet was close and then Harinordoquy was over but held up. From the scrum, Raphaël Lakafia, newly signed from Grenoble was close but again hands let Biarritz down.
Stade Français threw to the front of a lineout but Eric Lund grabbed the ball and was held up over the line.
Stade Français had a chance to attack and took it when big Bastareaud picked up at a tackle and plunged over for the try.
Straightaway Biarritz hit back with a long, soaring drop-goal from Yachvili's left boot.
There were 12 minutes left but Stade Français did not look like getting anywhere with them
The scorers:
For Biarritz:
Try: Carizza
Con: Yachvili
Pens: Yachvili 3
DG: Yachvili
For Stade Français:
Try: Bastareaud
Pens: Dupuy 2
The teams:
Biarritz: 15 I Balshaw, 14 T Ngwenya, 13 M Bond, 12 Y Fior, 11 I Bolakoro, 10 J Barraque, 9 D Yachvili, 8 R Lakafia, 7 I Harinordoquy (captain), 6 W Lauret, 5 M Carizza, 4 Eric Lund, 3 C Johnstone, 2 B August, 1 E Coetzee.
Replacements: 16 R Terrain, 17 S Marconnet, 18 A Barozzi, 19 Magnus Lund, 20 J Thion, 21 J Peyrelongue, 22 C Gimenez.
Stade Français: 15 H Southwell, 14 J Arias, 13 M Bastareaud, 12 M Rodriguez Gurruchagao, 11 O
Phillips, 10 L Beauxis, 9 J Dupuy, 8 S Parisse, 7 J Leguizamon, 6 Mauro Bergamasco, 5 P Papé, 4 T Palmer, 3 A Joly, 2 D Szarzewski, 1 R Roncero.
Replacements: 16 L Sempere, 17 R Gerber, 18 J Haskell, 19 N Oelschig, 20 B Liebenberg, 21 G Tiesi.
Referee: Romain Poite
Assistant referees: Cédric Marchat, Pascal Ubeda
Television match official: Daniel Gillet
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