Montpellier beaten at home

Biarritz beat Montpellier 18-14 in Montpellier, the first time a visiting team has won there this season. It was a tense and close match before an enthusiastic crowd.

Biarritz beat Montpellier 18-14 in Montpellier, the first time a visiting team has won there this season. It was a tense and close match before an enthusiastic crowd.

Scoring two tries to one, Biarritz probably deserved to win but in the first half it seemed that they were being blown away. At half-time Montpellier led 9-3 but in fact the score could have been higher as their forwards took the Biarritz pack apart. But the Biarritz defence was strong and it was left to the Argentinian boot of Federico Todeschini, playing in the place of the injured Italian fullback Bortolussi, to score the points for the home side.

Montpellier did get close, notably when Frikkie Welsh raced down the right wing and chipped. Nicolas Brusque had difficulty controlling the ball but Welsh knocked on at the line.

By then Montpellier were leading 3-0 after a penalty goal from a tackle infringement. An off-side penalty made it 6-0 before Johan Wasserman was penalised for pulling Dimitri Yachvili into a tackle/ruck and the scrumhalf made it 6-3.

Just before half-time Andrea Masi tackled Welsh without the ball. He was sent to the sin bin and Todeschini increased Montpellier's lead to 9-3.

The second half was a different matter. The Biarritz pack got onto terms and the Montpellier loose trio no longer had it their own way. In the first half Louis Picamoles, Johan Wasserman and Fulgence Ouedraogo had had a field day.

Montpellier were forced onto the defensive and something had to give. After many phases Serge Betsen broke between two defenders and gave to right wing Benjamin Thiery who burst away from a feeble Welsh tackle to score under the posts. Yachvili converted and the visitors led 10-9 after 46 minutes.

Soon afterwards Biarritz battered at the Montpellier goal-line and were actually over but the television match official advised that Eduard Coetzee had been held up over the line. This produced a five-metre scrum which Biarritz shoved to the line, but the home side survived.

In fact they were next to score and it was an outstanding try.

Montpellier had not really looked like scoring a try and did not look like doing so at a tackle/ruck some 20 metres or so out. Then suddenly huge, young Mamuke Gorgodze broke away from a tackle ruck. He sloughed off Yachvili and then, in Brusque's tackle, stretched over to score. Todeschini missed the conversion but Montpellier led 14-10. after 56 minutes.

Almost immediately Biarritz got the lead back. Replacement flank Steve Malonga had a strong run down the right. He looked set to score when he slipped and fell but Biarritz had the ball and sent Philippe Bidabé over in the right corner. 15-14 after 59 minutes.

After Biarritz had collapsed mauls twice in quick succession, Todeschini had a relatively straightforward kick but hit the upright and the ball stayed out.

Scrumhalf Sébastien Buada had barely replaced Julien Tomas at scrumhalf when he was sent to the sin bin. He tried to kick but Betsen charged the kick down. In the scramble for the ball Buada twice grabbed Betsen without the ball. Buada was sent to the sin bin and Yachvili goaled the subsequent penalty.

This victory puts Biarritz into second place on the log, even if only temporarily.

There were 11 South Africans playing – eight for Montpellier and three for Biarritz.

Scorers:

For Biarritz:
Tries: Thiery, Bidabé
Con: Yachvili
Pens: Yachvili 2

For Montpellier
Try: Gorgodze
Pens: Todeschini 3

Biarritz: 15 Nicolas Brusque, 14 Benjamin Thiery, 13 Andrea Masi, 12 Damien Traille, 11 Jimmy Marlu, 10 Marcelo Bosch, 9 Dimitri Yachvili, 8 Imanol Harinordoquy, 7 Trevor Hall, 6 Serge Betsen, 5 David Couzinet, 4 Jérôme Thion (captain), 3 Mosese Moala, 2 Benoît August, 1 Eduard Coetzee
Replacements: 16 Benjamin Noirot, 17 Hedley Wessels, 18 Manuel Carizza, 19 Steeve Malonga, 20 Julien Dupuy, 21 Julien Peyrelongue, 22 Philippe Bidabé

Montpellier: 15 Federico Todeschini, 14 Frikkie Welsh, 13 Rickus Lubbe, 12 Grant Rees, 11 Sébastien Kuzbik, 10 François Trinh-Duc, 9 Julien Tomas, 8 Louis Picamoles, 7 Johan Wasserman, 6 Fulgence Ouedraogo, 5 Drikus Hancke, 4 Michel Macurdy, 3 Philemon Toleafoa, 2 Olivier Diomandé, 1 Eugene van Staden.
Replacements: 16 Joan Caudullo, 17 Danie Thiart, 18 Mamuka Gorgodze, 19 Warren Britz, 20 Sébastien Buada, 21 Régis Lespinas, 22 Olivier Sarraméa

Referee: Romain Poite