Heineken Cup: Yachvili kicks Biarritz to glory over Munster, and sets up an all-French final

02 May 2010

Yachvili landed six out of six penalties as the Basques battled back from Keith Earls' first-half try for Munster, with the result also partially avenging Biarritz's final defeat to the same opponents four seasons ago.

The opening 20 minutes in San Sebastian was littered with unforced errors from both sides as the importance of the occasion appeared to set nerves jangling.

Stray passes, knock-ons and over-cooked kicks ensured it was a staccato start before Earls' 28th-minute try - touched down under the posts - finally broke the deadlock as Munster countered superbly after Biarritz were turned over following eight phases of forward pressure.

Springbok centre Jean de Villiers was the man who initiated the counter, with Donncha O'Callaghan and Alan Quinlan playing crucial supporting roles before Earls went over in the corner and scooted back to the posts to hand Ronan O'Gara a simple conversion.

Biarritz almost replied immediately when hooker Benoit August executed a neat one-two at a 15m lineout before bursting towards the Munster line, but the Basques were held up just short as they sought power through. 

With half-time beckoning Dimitri Yachvili finally got the 'home' side on the board with a well-executed penalty, but there was alarm for Biarritz as Imanol Harinordoquy was attended by three medics after a dynamic hit from Denis Hurly right on the whistle. The Basque totem - playing with a protective mask after an operation on his broken nose - did emerge again after the interval, but it was a symbolic image of how Munster had edged the initial 40 minutes at the Estadio Anoeta. 

But for all their dominance they found themselves pegged back again just four minutes after the restart when Jerry Flattery's late hit on Karmichael Hunt offered Biarritz another chance to reduce the deficit, with Yachvili duly kicking the penalty to take the French side to within a point.

With tensions rising the match slipped again into a series of errors, although the patched up defiance of Harinordoquy remained a picture of determined excellence as he waved away suggestions he might want to be substituted.

O'Gara attempted a long-range penalty from just inside his own half on the hour, but his effort fell well short, before Paul Warwick was then hounded down by replacement winger Philippe Bidabe as he gave away a needless penalty in front of Munster's own posts just five minutes later. Yachvili duly slotted the straightforward kick from 18m to give Biarritz the lead for the first time in the match, and with it the momentum appeared to have swung decisively.

Increasing Munster indecision was becoming more frequent as their shape and direction dissipated in the face of Biarritz's growing confidence. Harinordoquy was eventually forced off on 65 minutes - to a standing ovation - and Biarritz entered the final quarter of an hour knowing they were on course for their second Heineken Cup final in four years.

Their hugely impressive forwards began to dominate both the lineout and the scrum, and as Munster struggled for any possession at all it seemed only a matter of time before Biarritz managed to break through for a try. A 71st-minute penalty for the immaculate Yachvili further turned the screw, with Munster then forced to throw caution to the wind as they desperately went in search of a try.

But it was Biarritz who had the final say with Yachvili landing his fifth and sixth success (in the 76th and 79th minutes) to seal the win and set the scene for their all-French final clash against Stade Toulousain.

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