While
Stade Francais’ Saturday showdown against Biarritz will
undoubtedly attract the weekend’s largest audience it is
perhaps a game at the other end of the table which carries
the most importance. Connoisseurs may prefer the Stade
Toulousain v Clermont Auvergne clash, or even the Perpignan
v Racing-Metro 92 game, but for sheer importance it’s going
to be hard to beat the Stade Pierre Rajon as a venue as 13th-placed
Bayonne travel to 12th-placed Bourgoin.
The home
side did themselves a massive favour by halting Racing’s
nine-match winning streak with victory in Paris last
weekend, a result which lifted them six points clear of
Bayonne, who lost at home to Stade Toulousain. Should
Bourgoin win again on Saturday then they will be anywhere
between nine and 11 points clear – a simply massive margin
given the stage of the season.
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Bourgoin’s buoyant mood this week has been further boosted
by news that they have finally fulfilled their financial
commitments on this season’s budget, following a €650,000
input from board members.
“We will
not let Bourgoin die,” said president Gaston Maulin. “I have
not invested much money to let it go now. Jacques Chanut,
Jean-Louis Alloin and myself, and the steering committee
members are putting forward the money,” he added.
The
latest cash injection should finally satisfy the DNACG, the
league’s financial watchdog, who withheld 12 player licences
earlier in the season – move which prompted the resignation
of then president Rene Flamand.
Former
president Maulin then came to the rescue, while the players
themselves also agreed a 17% wage cut to help ease the
financial burden. Since then the club has stabilised both on
and off the pitch, with Saturday’s home game a perfect
opportunity to hammer another nail in the coffin of
seemingly doomed Bayonne.
The Basques have been in wretched form of
late, losing eight of their last nine league games in a
terrifying slump that could yet culminate in unexpected
relegation to ProD2.
The only
major cloud on the horizon for Bourgoin – assuming they win
at the weekend – is the seeming willingness of coaches
Xavier Pemeja and Eric Catinot to leave for surer pastures
in the summer. The pair have already been linked with an
off-season move to Montpellier, and Pemeja made his feelings
clear this week in an interview with Midi Olympique.
“We have
lived through extraordinary times, but I hope not to relive
such situations,” he warned. Eric and I still have a year
left on our contracts but we are free to depart from this
season since wages were cut by 17%. But we can equally well
choose to stay if an interesting project finally arrives on
the table,” said Pemeja.
He
admitted that they have other opportunities in the offing
but denied anything had been agreed with Montpellier or any
other club. “The only thing that is certain is that we
continue to work together. And today we are both 100%
Berjalliens.”
Pemeja
went on to label the club’s financial struggles as
“incomprehensible” and admitted that victory was a necessity
on Saturday. “We have to beat Bayonne to validate our win at
Racing-Metro,” he added.
Bayonne,
meanwhile, go into the match after a wretched form of late,
losing eight of their last nine league games in a terrifying
slump that could yet culminate in unexpected relegation to
ProD2.
Their
cause will not be helped by captain Remy Martin being called
before an LNR disciplinary hearing for allegedly raking
Jean-Baptiste Elissalde’s chest during their weekend defeat
at home to Stade Toulousain.
Martin, who has already
served a 21-day suspension this season, must appear before
the disciplinary committee of January 20. Second row Nicolas
Lafitte is also in hot water after a confrontation with the
referee during their 19-23 defeat by Racing-Metro 92 on
December 30.
