Dimitri Yachvili: Seven penalties
Biarritz scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili won the kicking duel against Toulon's Jonny Wilkinson to help his side claim the Amlin Challenge Cup.
The all-French final saw Biarritz edge Toulon 21-18 at the Stoop on Friday.
Yachvili kicked a perfect seven penalties to give the Basque club's first piece of continental silverware.
But the influential France scrum-half was fortunate to still be on the pitch when he landed the winning kick six minutes from full-time.
Just moments earlier, he had tripped Toulon scrum-half Sebastien Tillous-Borde, a yellow card offence which referee Wayne Barnes missed.
Toulon had two players sin-binned early in the second half with former All Black prop Carl Hayman yellow-carded for a spear tackle on USA winger Takudzwa Ngwenya. He was quickly followed by former England flanker Steffon Armitage.
With the scores level at 18-18, Yachvili made the most of his lifeline to land the winning penalty in a disappointing final of Europe's second tier competition.
The win also meant Biarritz qualified for next season's Heineken Cup while big-spending Toulon, for whom Wilkinson kicked all the points, were left still waiting for a first European title.
Toulon had hung in there all game despite Yachvili's kicking masterclass and Wilkinson was in position for a last-gasp drop-goal attempt that would have brought extra-time.
But the Toulon pack left him stranded, conceding a penalty on the eighth phase of the attack that confirmed Biarritz's victory.
Biarritz had to win to qualify for the Heineken Cup for a 13th consecutive season after finishing ninth in the Top 14 following a disappointing domestic campaign.
The relief and joy was evident from the reaction of senior players like Damien Traille, while Toulon and Wilkinson now have to turn their attention to the Top 14.
Toulon, beaten Amlin Challenge Cup finalists in 2010, face Racing Metro in the Top 14 quarter-finals next weekend.
The scorers:
For Toulon:
Pens: Wilkinson 5
Drop: Wilkinson
For Biarritz:
Pens: Yachvili 7
Toulon: 15 Benjamin Lapeyre, 14 Alexis Palisson, 13 Mathieu Bastareaud, 12 Matt Giteau, 11 David Smith, 10 Jonny Wilkinson, 9 Sebastien Tillous-Borde, 8 Joe van Niekerk, 7 Steffon Armitage, 6 Pierrick Gunther, 5 Kris Chesney, 4 Christophe Samson, 3 Carl Hayman, 2 Sebastien Bruno, 1 Eifion Lewis-Roberts.
Replacements: 16 Jean-Charles Orioli, 17 Laurent Emmanuelli, 18 Davit Kubriashvili, 19 Joe El Abd, 20 Geoffroy Messina, 21 Dean Schofield, 22 Fabien Cibray, 23 Jocelino Suta.
Biarritz Olympique: 15 Iain Balshaw, 14 Taku Ngwenya, 13 Jean Pascal Barraque, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Dane Haylett-Petty, 10 Julien Peyrelongue, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Benoit Guyot, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Pelu Taele, 4 Jerome Thion, 3 Eugene van Staden, 2 Arnaud Heguy, 1 Yvan Watremez.
Replacements: 16 Benoit August, 17 Sylvain Marconnet, 18 Francisco Gomez Kodela, 19 Erik Lund, 20 Talalelei Gray, 21 Charles Gimenez, 22 Marcelo Bosch, 23 Ilikena Bolakoro.
Referee: Wayne Barnes
Comments
makemehappy says...
Awful game, with the result decided by refereeing mistakes. Not a good advert!
@froggy73 - no red as in the end (somehow) the tackle wasn't as bad as it could have been and there was no injury. That influenced the ref.
Posted 09:46 20th May 2012
carpelone says...
@ Rosbif
Of course I agree with the spirit of your post....
Posted 13:57 19th May 2012
carpelone says...
That exactly what Yachvili is. A mean, shameful coward.
I hope he reads this post and makes some amendments at least.
You can win a final, but lose respect of the rugby community.
This is what he chose to do.
Back to my playing times, I would have quite gladly sorted him out.
Winning in rugby is not exactly scoring more points.
Posted 13:56 19th May 2012
Rosbif says...
@Carpelone, I hear you, I really do, but "shameful coward" is perhaps over egging it a little, no? "Cunning cheat" or "crafty", "cynical" or, dare I say, "professional" are perhaps closer to the mark. T-Borde didn't exactly lose an eye (if you forgive the allusion). I think in commentary they said something like "the hand of Back". Not great, but not life threatening (like the Hayman tip). And if people are going to cheat (a sad premiss I grant you, but an increasingly axiomatic one I fear), I prefer the hand of Back type stuff to the "theatricals" where players (Yach and Parra spring to mind) routinely try to get other players yellow carded by falling like stones or brandishing air cards. That really gets my goat!
Mind you, any way you look at it, Barnes and his assistants had yet another bad day at the office.... :)
Posted 11:09 19th May 2012
froggy73 says...
Glad for Biarritz. Otherwise poor game. And poor Barnes (how come no red card on Carl Hayman ??? How come no yellow card on yachvili ???).
Posted 08:17 19th May 2012
froggy73 says...
Glad for Biarritz. Otherwise poor game. And poor Barnes (how come no red card on Carl Hayman ??? How come no yellow card on yachvili ???).
Posted 08:17 19th May 2012
5Lock4ward says...
Proof that you can't buy silverware.
Posted 01:19 19th May 2012
kid_diablo says...
toulon you fools. i was really looking forward to stade francais being back in the heineken next year.
Posted 01:17 19th May 2012
damo says...
Worst ref in the world ever, spear tackle is his middle name, again his stupidity cost a team the win, like in the Ireland Wales Game what a loser
Posted 00:37 19th May 2012
Carpelone says...
Yachvili, you shameful coward. He should have been yellow carded for his hand on the ankle of Tillous Borde from offside, instead on the continuation of the same action, Biarritz earned a dubious penalty. Shame on you.
Barnes was at his worst, though.
Posted 23:50 18th May 2012
papachinzo says...
The Amlin Cup, never fails to produce some of the worst Final's in the History of sport... Glad to have Biarritz in the Heineken Cup next season though, I hate seeing teams that obviously don't want to be there, eg. 'Racing Metro 92' get in ahead of teams that love it.
Posted 23:30 18th May 2012
powerplay says...
Looks like he missed the other yellow card offence...
Posted 23:20 18th May 2012
Rosbif says...
@leinster_goy: hmmmm.... perhaps there was another person on the pitch after all.... who gave his own masterclass to rival yachvilli's for its grip on the outcome of the game!!
PS good luck in the big one tmw :)
Posted 22:55 18th May 2012
Rosbif says...
Masterclass by Yach. Amazed at how one player can have such an effect on the outcome of a game. Wilko, Giteau, van Niekerk and many other illustrious names in the Toulon side just never gripped the game in the same way. What a shame Yach had to play RWC final (and semifinal) on half a leg so wasn't able to give this kind of performance during that tournament.....
And finally, we should all say a big "au revoir" to Sylvain Marconnet. Nice way to finish. Thanks for the years of service :)
Posted 22:37 18th May 2012
NHsaints says...
That sucks for Toulon but if you get two players yellow carded in one game, let alone at the same time you're pretty much garuanteed to lose...
Posted 22:27 18th May 2012
leinster_goy says...
wayne wayne wayne dear oh dear
Posted 22:14 18th May 2012