Lund to awake Biarritz's slumber

Biarritz have traditionally been one of the teams to avoid in the Heineken Cup group stages, but such is their downhill spiral in recent years that a trip to the Parc des Sports d'Aguilera is no longer viewed with trepidation.

Biarritz have traditionally been one of the teams to avoid in the Heineken Cup group stages, but such is their downhill spiral in recent years that a trip to the Parc des Sports d'Aguilera is no longer viewed with trepidation.

Since losing to Munster in the 2006 Heineken Cup final, the team from the south of France have lost their way both domestically and in Europe and have experienced a painful couple of seasons by their standards.

Coach Patrice Lagisquet has now gone, as has loose forward stalwart Serge Betsen, and after a decent start to this season's Top 14 campaign, Les Biarrots are again struggling in the league.

The talent in their squad is undeniable, however, and it now includes Magnus Lund, the England flanker who made the move to Biarritz from Sale Sharks over the summer.

From what he has seen so far, Lund believes his new team can make a splash in this season's Heineken Cup, just as French giants Toulouse and Stade Francais are expected to do.

“Biarritz have a great tradition in the competition,” said the 25-year-old.

“They got to the final in 2006 and haven't done as well since, so we will be hoping to get back to where we were.

“I think we have a great chance with the players we have here.

“When I realised I would be moving here, I looked into what happened to them last season.

“I know they struggled last season and the coach went, but the coaches that are here now were here last season, and the guys are working really hard to get the club challenging for honours again, like it should be doing.”

When Biarritz made it to the final in 2006, they beat Lund's Sale along the way.
In that match – a quarter-final tie at the Estadio Anoeta in St Sebastien – they played a bulldozing, forward-orientated game that won them the tie but, at the same time, few friends.

They repeated the trick against Bath in the semi-finals but were unable to get the better of Munster at the Millennium Stadium.

Since then it has been one disappointment after another, especially in the 2006-07 competition when they lost 7-6 at home to Northampton in the quarter-finals.

The Saints, relegated from the Guinness Premiership that season, were on the back foot all game but coped with some ease against Biarritz's predictable attack and scored a late breakaway try to seal a famous win.

Biarritz did not even make it out of their group last season and having failed to make the Top 14 play-offs last time round, they have acknowledged the need to change their negative and outdated approach.

They are up against Gloucester, Cardiff and Calvisano in Pool Six of this season's Heineken Cup and with only the top-placed finishers guaranteed to progress to the last eight, Lund is understandably wary.

“I don't think there are any easy groups or easy games in the Heineken Cup any more,” said Lund.

“All the Italian teams are improving so that is making it harder still.

“Gloucester are clearly a great side. They have a huge squad over there and lots of talented players so it will be really tough to get past them, especially with our first game being at their place.

“Cardiff performed well in last season's Heineken Cup and they will also be dangerous.

“Having said that, I think we will be challenging this year.”

Biarritz's main weapon this year appears to be winger Takudzwa Ngwenya, the Zimbabwe-born flyer who impressed for the USA in last year's World Cup.

He is already second in the try-scoring charts in the Top 14 and appears to be settling following his move to France midway through last season.

Other stand-out players in their squad include France internationals Dimitri Yachvili, Damien Traille and Jerome Thion.

Lund, meanwhile, is hoping his move from Sale will kickstart his career and rekindle his England ambitions.

“Hopefully the England coaches will take note of what I am doing here,” said the flanker, who first earned national team recognition in 2006 but has been ignored for the past year.

“Playing in the Heineken Cup will give me a big chance to impress, so both Biarritz and I hope to do well in it.”