Biarritz 27 (10) Perpignan 12 (12)

In-form Biarritz made it five league wins on the spin as they downed champions Perpignan 27-12 at a sun-drenched Parc des Sports Aguilera on Saturday.

Their latest victory, achieved after virtual domination in a powerful second-half performance, lifted the Basques up to third in the table and sets them up perfectly for next weekend's opening Heineken Cup game away to Glasgow Warriors.

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Morning leaders Perpignan knew they were in for a tough afternoon as the travelled to a ground where they haven't won since WWII, and their worst fears appeared to be confirmed when Biarritz full-back Marcelo Bosch rounded off a flowing move down the left-hand touchline to score the game's opening try after just seven minutes.

Fly-half Julien Peyrelongue slotted the conversion to make it 7-0, but the erratic fly-half was off target with several later penalties as Biarritz failed to make their early pressure count. Their intent was certainly clear for all to see as they tried to run at any given opportunity - and some that weren't too - but Catalans gradually regrouped and even found themselves leading 12-10 at half-time thanks to the combined boots of Jérôme Porical (three pens) and fly-half Steve Meyer (an opportunistic drop-goal).

But the Basques made up for their generosity after the break, when they attacked at will with the sun blazing down on their backs. A surging 48th-minute run from Benoît August sparked the lively crowd into renewed fervour and Peyrelongue finally landed his second penalty on 51 minutes as the home side reclaimed the lead.

Five minutes later Bosch snuck over a mishit drop-goal as the home side gathered increasing momentum, with scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili becoming chief puppeteer as he mixed fast hands with a variety of probing cross and chip kicks.

Talismanic Imanol Harinordoquy also became a prominent figure the more the match wore on, playing the home crowd like a pantomime dame at times as the band cajoled the hosts to carry the fight forward.

The tempo continued to rise as chants of 'Allez BO' resounded around the sun-kissed stadium, and Biarritz finally broke free of the champions when American speedster Takudzwa Ngwenya dragged two defenders with him to touch down in the right-hand corner just past the hour mark. Peyrelongue missed the conversion but with the home side already 21-12 to the good the match was already in their pocket.

Yachvili took over the kicking duties thereafter and neatly slotted two penalties in the final 20 minutes as the hosts elected to deny Perpignan a defensive point in preference for pushing on in search of their own attacking bonus. That may not have found favour with all - particularly the gnarled critic to my right in the press box - but it certainly appeared to appease the ecstatic home crowd who were only too pleased to see the champions vanquished.