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Biarritz Olympique and Oyonnax met on the opening weekend of September in the Top 14. New boys Oyonnax triumphed on that occasion in a tight game
Biarritz Olympique and Oyonnax met on the opening weekend of September in the Top 14. New boys Oyonnax triumphed on that occasion in a tight game, coming out on top 24-22 on home soil..
But while the ‘mountain men’ have been a real handful at home, turning over three Heineken Cup teams in Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne and Toulon, their away form has been woeful.
They have yet to win away from their Stade Charles Mathon fortress and have leaked an average of 37 points per game in their four away fixtures to date this season. As for Biarritz, they are firmly anchored to the bottom of the Top 14 table with a mere eight points.
This has been one of their worst ever starts to a season with only one win in 10 games in their domestic and European games. While there was plenty of spirit in the 33-10 opening defeat in Pool 1 at Sale Sharks, it was a familiar story in the end.
Head coach Laurent Rodriguez saw his team lose too many balls in contact and also saw hooker RomainRuffenachjoin an injury list that now includes 15 players. Among the absentees are such influential talismen as Imanol Harinordoquy, Iain Balshaw, Benoit Baby, Magnus Lund and Raphael Lakafia.
Oyonnax will smell blood, and sniff an opportunity to pick up a win on the road, and a victory would keep them in the hunt for a quarter-final spot in the most competitive Pool in the tournament. It took a last gasp penalty to earn a home draw, 9-9, on their European debut last weekend against Worcester Warriors, but they won’t want to leave anything to chance in a golden opportunity at Stade Aguillera in round two.
Match Facts
- Biarritz have played French opposition seven times in the competition, losing the three away games and winning the three at home. They also won the 2011/12 final v Toulon at the Twickenham Stoop.
- Biarritz, have lost just two of 11 home games overall in this competition. Oyonnax became the first ever side to draw their debut Amlin Challenge Cup game when they were held to a 9-9 result by Worcester in Round 1. Oyonnax beat Biarritz 24-22 in the Top 14 last month.
Le Biarritz Olympique s'impose face à Oyonnax en Amlin Challenge Cup et engrange sa première victoire depuis celle acquise en Top14 face à Montpellier le 24 août. Les Basques prennent le bonus offensif (4 essais
Biarritz Olympique got their first win in the Amlin Challenge Cup as they produced a strong second half performance to see off Oyonnax and finaly put a smile on the faces o their fans after an awful start to the season.
The French side certainly didn’t have it their own way despite out-scoring the visitors four tries to nil. Biarritz had been well beaten by Saracens in the opening round of pool one fixtures but bounced back with an impressive showing against a stubborn Oyonnax side.
They were helped by some poor kicking from the visitors in the first half but two late tries put some gloss on the win for the home side. Oyonnax outside half Nicolas Vuillemin had the chance to put the visitors in front inside 60 seconds but he missed with a long-range penalty.
Full back Lucas Amorosino then pushed a drop goal wide of the post as they failed to make the most of some early pressure. It was Biarritz who got the game’s opening points when Italian second row Joshua Furno crashed over for a try on 20 minutes and Dimitri Yachvili added the extras.
Vuillemin slotted a penalty on 23 minutes to cut the deficit to four points but missed another six minutes later. Missed kicks looked to be the story of the first half as Damien Traille failed with a drop goal attempt for Biarritz just before the break before the home side snatched a second try in injury time.
Lock Pelu Taele-Pavihi went over from close range and once again Yachvili added the conversion. Jonathan Bousquet took over the kicking duties for Oyonnax in the second half and immediately got the visitors back into the game with a penalty.
The game was developing into a real arm-wrestle with neither side giving an inch until Biarritz number eight Seremaia Buroto sealed the win for the home side with a superb try 15 minutes from the end.
Yachvili added the conversion in what was his last action of the game as Biarritz sent on Yann Lesgourgues to help see out the win.
Biarritz wrapped up a bonus point with a fourth try in the dying moments, with substitute Eugene van Staden crossing for an unconverted score.
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