Beauxis boots Toulouse past Bayonne
Eight penalties and two drop goals from fly-half Lionel Beauxis saw Toulouse to a 30-15 Top 14 victory over Bayonne on Friday.
Eight penalties and two drop goals from fly-half Lionel Beauxis saw Toulouse to a 30-15 Top 14 victory over Bayonne at Stade Ernest Wallon on Friday.
In driving rain that made expansive rugby impossible, Beauxis kicked all of his side's points including drop-goals either side of half time to secure victory for the hosts and extend Toulouse's unbeaten home run in the domestic league to 24 matches dating back to Toulon's 6-3 win over them in February 2010.
Beauxis's 30-point contribution is a record for the season so far.
The result consolidates Toulouse's lead at the summit of the Top14 table while big-spending Bayonne now trail the leader by a staggering 29 points.
Beauxis and Bayonne kicker Benjamin Boyet slotted over two penalties apiece in the driving rain in the opening quarter-of-an-hour to leave them all square at 6-6.
Beauxis, though, dropped a goal to give the champions a three point lead after being set up by a great run from Maxime Medard and the former Stade Francais star added another penalty in the 20th minute.
Beauxis added another penalty on the half hour mark but the visitors hit back with two penalties in the next five minutes, one from Boyet and then a terrific effort from around 50 metres by former Toulouse standout Cedric Heymans.
The impeccable Beauxis extended the hosts lead to nine points with a penalty and a drop goal within 10 minutes of the second-half only for Boyet to land his fourth penalty with 25 minutes remaining.
The febrile atmosphere eventually claimed two victims as Toulouse centre Florian Fritz and Bayonne's South African lock Robin Linde were sent to cool off in the sin bin while Beauxis slotted over the resulting penalty.
Beauxis added another penalty to all but wrap up the points with 16 minutes remaining and then converted another as the match drew to a close to round off a superb evening for both his team and especially himself.
The scorers:
For Toulouse:
Pens: Beauxis 8
Drops: Beauxis
For Bayonne:
Pens: Boyet 4, Heymans
Yellow cards: Linde (Bayonne – 57th min – high tackle); Fritz (Toulouse – 57th min – retaliation); Avril (Bayonne -77th min – scrum infringement)
Toulouse:15 Maxime Médard, 14 Vincent Clerc, 13 Florian Fritz, 12 Luke McAlister, 11 Yves Donguy, 10 Lionel Beauxis, 9 Luke Burgess, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Thierry Dusautoir, 6 Jean Bouilhou, 5 Romain Millo Chlusky, 4 Yoann Maestri, 3 Census Johnston, 2 William Servat, 1 Jean-Baptiste Poux
Replacements:16 Jereym Falip, 17 Yassin Boutemane, 18 Gregoyr Lamboley, 19 Sean Sowerby, 20 Jean Marc Doussain, 21 Yannick Jauzion, 22 Timoci Matanavou, 23 Yohan Montes
Bayonne: 15 Cédric Heymans, 14 Joe Rokocoko, 13 Thibault Lacroix, 12 Lionel Mazars, 11 Sam Gerber, 10 Benjamin Boyet, 9 Mike Phillips, 8 Sione Lauaki, 7 Julien Puricelli, 6 Jean-Joseph Marmouyet, 5 Abdellatif Boutaty, 4 Rob Linde (captain), 3 Neemia Tialata, 2 David Roumieu, 1 Aretz Iguiniz
Replacements: 16 François Da Ros, 17 Vitolio Manukula, 18 Troy Flavell, 19 Marc Baget, 20 Cédric Garcia, 21 Clément Otazo, 22 Marvin O'Connor, 23 Denis Avril