European Cup - Saints 17 Biarritz 14

By Craig in Wooton
January 13 2003

Luck has nothing to do with it.... Saints survive an inspired Biarritz defence with a display of character that would make Henry V proud. After the previous two weeks home displays, it was with ridiculous optimism that the home crowd expected nothing less than a Biarritz drubbing.

With some of the crowd leaving early last week, it was used as kick up the backside by the coaching staff as an example of what it all means to the good burghers of the shire (and elsewhere). With Ulster next Friday looming large, nothing short of a win was good enough for passage to the quarter finals.

However, the game started with Saints in hesitant mood, with Ripol fumbling a high kick backwards, and Handyman knocking on in contact in midfield. It's more aerial ping-pong than 'hats on wheels', as both sides try to establish field position, culminating in a Biarritz penalty on 4 mins for hands in the ruck. Yachvili misses, but Biarritz have been on top for the most part, their back row, especially Betsen, outstanding. Our forwards are having a torrid time in the scrums, and on 7 minutes Thommo's head appears out of the top of the scrum - penalty Biarritz. Yachvili makes no mistake with this one, Saints 0 Biarritz 3.

By now the crowd were getting nervous, and seeing all sorts of daft refereeing decisions. Saints make good inroads into Biarritz territory with Handyman taking the ball into a ruck on Biarritz 22. All Saints supporters think Betsen is on the wrong side, but he has turned Handyman, who then faffs about with the ball on the floor, giving Biarritz a penalty. The resultant lineout is stolen by Steve Williams, setting the tone for the whole game. The option of Hunter, Connors, or Williams was causing Biarritz problems in marking on our ball, and making their ball less secure. If only the scrums were just as solid! After 10 mins Saints have first opportunity for points, a penalty just outside the Biarritz 22 on the right of the field. Grayson spots Cohen wide on the left, but miscues his cross-field kick, Bernat-Salles easily tidying up.

The crowd were now in good voice and became the Saints No16. Prolonged pressure, with Biarritz defence again excellent, saw Saints pressurise a Biarritz lineout resulting in a sloppy clearance. Saints win lineout, launch into midfield, and with the defence coming up offside, Grayson has the simplest of kicks to level the score. Or so we all thought! He misses, so the crowd start mumbling again, but unlike the previous week Saints are making few mistakes during play, and only excellent defending is preventing more Saints scores.

On 17 mins, Connors again steals a Biarritz lineout. Grayson chips over the Biarritz defence, but they tidy up at the ruck only for an awful pass from Yachvili to go wide of the Biarritz fly-half Peyrelongue, the hooker and captain Gonzales being forced to kick to touch. Saints make a mess of the line out, but pressure on Yachvili forces him to kick to touch, nearly on his own 5m line. The crowd now expects - catch and drive, and boy do we get it. Saints catch the line out, Biarritz drive us back 5 metres and get the resultant scrum, which they clear well. This wasn't in the script, but there was no panic on the pitch, just a growing calm collective will, a feeling transferred from the crowd perhaps?

Again Saints begin another attack, although in clearing out a ruck on the Biarritz 22, the ball is left exposed, and as Biarritz claim the ball, Cohen comes in from the side to give away a penalty. The ball is cleared downfield and Ripol knock on under a high ball (he looks shot to pieces), but luckily for Saints, Betsen knocks on the resulting ball in midfield. We kick to clear, and Biarritz return it. Tom Smith joins the ensuing tackle to bridge over the ball, awaiting support. His knee grazes the ground for a tenth of a second as he is bridging, referee Alan Lewis awards Biarritz a penalty for not staying on his feet! Much wailing and gnashing of teeth in the crowd, but quiet wailing, as Yachvili lands the penalty from half way between the touchline and centre, about 35 yards out. Saints 0 Biarritz 6.

It's not looking to good at this stage. 25 mins gone and banging your head against a brick wall is beginning to seem easier than breaching the Biarritz defence. Mind you it could have been worse. Biarritz set up a ruck dead central just outside the Saints 22, after good attacking play probing both flanks. With few options left, the drop-goal attempt floats massively wide.

And then it happens. From the restart, more aerial ping-pong, and a passage of play resulting in a Biarritz lineout, defending on the Saints left, which they completely mess up, giving Saints a free kick. Thommo takes the tap, spreads the ball right into midfield, where it is recycled to Beal on the left, who goes on the outside of a Biarritz prop, wrong foots Bernard-Salles, and passes to Thommo lurking on the left wing. It looks like a forward pass, the crowd wait for Thommo to collect the ball and be pulled back. But no - the hand of Biarritz had knocked the pass backwards, a try is given, the Biarritz wall had been breached, and the crowd erupt with a tumult that hadn't been heard since the last time Saints scored! The conversion was from wide on the left, and bearing in mind what was to come, it seems extraordinary that if went straight through the middle of the uprights. Saints 7 Biarritz 6.

Just when Saints needed to keep it tight, they didn't. After good defending from both teams, and 5 mins before half time, Grayson chips over the Biarritz defensive line just on half way. The kick is too deep and the evergrey Bernard Salles runs to the Biarritz left and launches a splendid pass to centre Bousses, who accelerates outside Williams and inside Hunter & Ripol who are both left marking thin air, to score unopposed. A good try, made by Bernard Salles knowing where all Saints backs were - on the other flank. Yachvili missed the conversion.

After Biarritz were penalised at their own lineout for being too slow to form, and more banging of Saints heads against a brick wall, half time arrived, Saints 7 Biarritz 11.

The second half began with Biarritz seemingly happy to defend, and to counter on turnover ball. However, Saints are giving little turnover ball for them to work with, with even Grayson's miss-hit cross field kick being tidied up by Cohen and Connors, who's kick to touch increases the skills in his armoury. On 45 minutes, Brooks replaces Ripol who looked to have all the cares of the world on his shoulder as he trudged off. Biarritz now begin to threaten, with Peyrelongue making a clean break past Grayson ending in a ruck on the right just inside our 22. They recycle left, just avoiding Tom Smith who is 4 yards offside. Penalty Biarritz, right in front, Yachvili scores the three points. Saints 7 Biarritz 14.

It's oo-er indeed now, but up steps the Saints No16, the crowd. Like days of old, the Gordon Terrace massive rise as one, with support from Church's, and an echo of Oh when the Saints reverberates touching your very soul. The players respond, with Robbie Morris on for Mattie Stewart, the forwards get stuck in, consistently now breaking the gain line, forcing Biarritz back. Saints steal a lineout, Grayson launches another huge kick deep into Biarritz territory. They can only clear to their 10m line, where, with ball in hand Steve Williams makes good yardage, Dawson inside pass to Cohen who also makes yards, just short of their 22, Lewis gives Saints a penalty. The crowd are all nervous now. He can't miss again, not from there, not now, when Saints so badly need to score, but it misses right. Does the crowd react badly to this? Is doom and gloom descended all around? Is it heck, one minute later another kickable penalty to Saints for hands in the ruck. Up steps Dawson and calmly aims for the right hand post, which he hits and the ball falls over the bar. Saints 10 Biarritz 14.

Biarritz now raise their game and push Saints back towards their own 22. Grayson repels with huge kick from hand, which is returned, only for Grayson to repeat, this time finding a good touch in the Biarritz half. The crowd are baying for points, with good continuity from Saints ending in a chip over the defence on the right, only for Bernard Salles to mark the catch, and then clear.

Ten minutes to go now, and Biarritz continue to play territory by kicking to Grayson, who launches another huge kick which Brooks (on for Handyman) chases like a madman, forcing winger Bidabe to put into touch just inside the Biarritz 22. From the lineout, John Phillips (on for Hunter) catches and Grayson makes a half break in front of the posts. This attack is repelled, but Biarritz seem unwilling to run from deep, and once again Saints take it up, the crowd ringing out loud from every corner of the ground, Biarritz concede a penalty after good work by Seely and Cohen. Three points are not enough so Grayson kicks to the corner. The Church's stand start the singing followed by Tetleys A and B. C block start Come on you Saints, its a wonderful sound, as Grayson sidesteps inside Peyrelongue heading straight under the posts before he is caught by the recovering Biarritz number 10, who then refuses to roll away from the tackle. In the bin he goes, the time has now come. Tap penalty, attack forced back on the right, recycled, spun left, Dawson reverse inside pass to Jorgy who has work to do to carry three defenders over to score. To prove the first kick was not a fluke, Dawson aims for the right hand post for the conversion in the same manner as the penalty. Saints 17 Biarritz 14.

You'd think Saints would be smart enough to close the game down, play territory, and don't upset that nice Mr Lewis. But no. That would make things too easy for us, the supporters. So John Phillips goes stamping all over a ruck nowhere near the ball and gets binned - he's only been on 9 minutes! 8- mins gone, the penalty is hammered down to Saints 10 metre line, where Biarritz win their lineout and Saints scrambling defence saves them. A high kick to the corner means Cohen has to tap the ball back in the air to Connors who has no option but to carry over for a Biarritz 5m scrum. Against a seven man pack, Biarritz choose to pick and drive from the base, where Cohen says thank you and bundles Milneres into touch. Simple lineout ploy, long throw infield, pass back for Dawson to find touch and the ref to blow for time, after 86 minutes.

Oh what fun we had, now it's a small matter of Ulster to deal with.

CraiginWootton