Top 14 - Round 3 Review:

Buoyant Bayonne batter Clermont

06 September 2008

Bayonne 17 Clermont 6

Perpignan 11 Stade Francais 26

Dax 6 Montpellier 9

Montauban 18 Bourgoin 14

Brive 16 Castres 16
Mont-de-Marsan 25 Toulon 18

Toulouse 20 Biarritz 6

A controversial try five minutes from time saw early pace-setters Bayonne maintain their 100% winning start with a surprisingly comfortable 17-6 home victory against Clermont.

In wet and blustery conditions, starkly different from last week’s boiling temperatures, Bayonne’s muscular pack wore down their illustrious opponents and should have been out of sight by the break but for some poor place-kicking from Manny Edmonds.

Last week’s hero had an excellent game from hand but missed four out of four penalties and two drop-goal attempts in the first half as Bayonne were held 3-3 at the break, with their only points coming courtesy of a drop-goal from rugby league convert Craig Gower.

Edmonds enjoyed more success after the interval, however, and slotted three penalties to give Bayonne a 12-3 advantage, with Clermont’s only response coming when Brock James added his second penalty to claw back the visitors to 12-6.

But the decisive score came five minutes from time when Filimone Bolavucu was teed up by Gower – although the pass looked forward - before feeding Peyras for an easy inside score. The result leaves Bayonne in second place with early doubts about their ability to maintain such a lofty perch ebbing away with each passing game.

Early leaders Stade Francais ensured top spot for another week thanks to an excellent 11-26 win away to Perpignan as two of the other three 100-per-centers met in a heavyweight clash at the Stade Aimé Giral.

The ‘blood and golds’ were unbeaten at home since April 2007 and had been riding high after wins against Brive and Bourgoin, but were brought down to earth after tries in each half for Dave Vainqueur and winger Julien Arias. The returning full-back Lionel Beauxis added five successful kicks (two conversions and three penalties), with Argentine fly-half Juan Hernandez dropping a 20^th-minute goal to add to the tally.

Perpignan, fourth last year, only had a brace of penalties to show until Christophe Manas touched down seven minutes from time, but it was too little too late.

Bottom club Dax went down 6-9 in a dour game at home to Montpellier.

Former Montpellier full-back Marco Bortolussi opened the scoring when he kicked the hosts ahead after 13 minutes, only to see Federico Todeschini level up two minutes later.

Dax then had the better of the first half but couldn’t capitalize on their possession, even when Grant Rees was sin-binned five minutes from the interval.

Another Todeschini penalty gave Perpignan a 6-3 lead shortly after the re-start and the writing was on the wall following Nicolas Decamps’ yellow in the 56^th minute, just five minutes after coming on, as Montpellier nudged ahead again courtesy of Mark McHugh’s boot after Bortolussi had levelled up with his own penalty.

Fabien Fortassin scored all the points as Montauban beat Bourgoin 18-14 at the Stade Sapiac to continue their impressive start to the campaign. Fortassin slotted five penalties and a drop goal to keep the visitors at bay, who replied with a try from flanker Yann Labrit and three penalties from Sébastien Laloo.

Meanwhile, at the Stade Amédée-Domenech Brive had to settle for their second successive draw as they were held 16-16 at home by Castres, following on from their 3-3 tie in Toulon the previous week.

The hosts looked out of it when fly-half Anthony Lagardère crossed for Castres’ second try in the 62 minute, opening up a 9-16 advantage, but Fijian full-back Norman Ligairi’ s 68th-minute converted try brought parity and a frantic closing.

Earlier, Uruguayan flanker Rodrigo Capo Ortega had opened the scoring with a 24^th-minute try for Castres after good work from Samoan lock Josefa Tekori, with the erratic Andy Goode replying for Brive with a hat-trick of penalties.

The result left both sides still seeking their first win of the season.

In the battle of the newly-promoted Mont-de-Marsan defied economics, and expectations, by beating Toulon 25-18 at home on Saturday evening.

Les Montois' first ever Top 14 win was reward for a positive approach and they were 13-5 up by half-time despite Toulon's Imbert scoring the opening try after 28 minutes. Dubie replied in kind four minutes later, with Bernard Arrayet adding the conversion to two penalties as the home side ended the opening half with the upper hand.

Sonny Falconetti brought the game alive when he touched down for the big-spending visitors early In the second half but despite Ramiro Pez adding the conversion and a further penalty Mont-de-Marsan stayed clear thanks to the boot of Arrayet, who kicked three more penalties and a drop-goal to take his personal points tally to 20.

Defending champions Toulouse entertain Biarritz on Sunday evening hoping to shake off their early-season rust despite the absence of a whole raft of key personnel - Vincent Clerc, Clément Poitrenaud, Yannick Jauzion, Thierry Dusautoir, Yves Donguy, Julien Ledevedec, Maleli Kunavore and new recruits Frederic Michalak and David Skrela.

Toulouse finally showed a glimpse of their championship-winning form as they dispatched Biarritz 20-6, with tries from Byron Kelleher, Manu Ahotaeiloa and Cédric Heymans.

Olympique, who were unbeaten going into Sunday’s game, could only manage a brace of penalties in return from former Toulouse fly-half Valentin Courrent.

In a further twist to that switch Biarritz prop Benoît Lecouls, who played against Toulouse on Sunday, will now stay with the defending champions having been a makeweight in the original Courrent transfer.

Toulouse allowed Lecouls to play the first three rounds of this season for Biarritz as they waited for new signing Campbell Johnstone to arrive from the Crusaders.

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