Clearly higher than very laborious Clermontois, Friday evening on his lawn of the Jean-Dauger stadium, for his first final game match for 33 years, Bayonne, still undefeated at his home this season, qualified without trembling (20-3) and will face Toulouse next Friday for a place in the final.
On this Friday, 13, lucky day for some misfortune for others, President Bayonnais Philippe Tayeb, not the least superstitious of the leaders, did not derogate from his habits, namely to pour holy water into the in-jacks during the pre-match. Her team, back in the final phase for the first time for thirty-three years, did not necessarily need it, as she outclassed Clermont (20-3) Friday evening on the lawn of a Jean-Dauger stadium full to crack during the first top 14 barrage (Editor’s note: the second will oppose Toulon on Saturday evening in the Var) to join Toulouse in the semi-finals and prolong the party.
Or how the advantage of the field of this unbeaten rowing team on their lawn in the regular season and which is still after the arrival of the Clermontois fully benefited Bayonnais, 4th of the season, who clearly dominated the players of Christophe Urios, unable to produce their usual but above all leaded game from the first minutes by a fairly impressive number of errors for a team.
Admittedly, Joris Segonds and his teammates took their time before materializing on the brand board the way in which they have evolved a tone above their opponents in this quarter-finals.
Spring, hero of the evening
The conditions, for a long time Dantesque (the postponement of the match had been envisaged for a time due to the violent thunderstorms announced), like the deluge which accompanied the whole first half explain in part the difficulties that the Basques knew, which only led 9-3 to the break and essentially inflated their advance at first (on penalties and a drop of segonds). But given the brilliant superiority of Bayonne, this dam, which ended with a penalty by Camille Lopez, who came to complete the success of the Blue and White when he could very well have played the last match of his career (like the Clermont Benjamin Urdapilletta, record holder of points in Top 14, in the opposite camp) could not end without a test of rowing.
Tom Spring took care of it shortly before the time of play, with at the start, like a symbol, a kick magnificently distilled by Lopez, the house specialist. A real masterclass at the arrival of rowing, back in the semi-finals 43 years later. The party could not be more beautiful for Bayonne, who only asks to continue it indefinitely. The champions of France are warned.
