29′ Orie makes a mistake in the ruck… too bad! Lopez finds a touch on the visitors’ 15m line. Watch out…
28′ On the return, McIntyre ensures the pump kick, and finds a sublime touch on the halfway line. For the moment, USAP displays flawless control.
27′ Allan the magnificent, converts the windfall. 7-16!
26′ But that’s Ali Baba! Crossdale runs at high speed on his wing, and escapes like an eel in the Bayonne defense! The Basque defense is forced to make a mistake, penalty and yellow card against Aviron!
25′ The Catalan defense is a real terror! And Lopez is forced to pass forward to Poloniati! It’s up to the pack to do their job once again…
24′ On the return, McIntyre finds a tiny touch on his 22m. Ouch…
23′ A precision worthy of Da Vinci for the Transalpine, 7-13 for USAP!
22′ Messed up by the Catalan line-up, but Warion’s arm is grabbed, although quite substantial! Penalty, which Allan will try from 40m, well on the right…
21′ Ecochard kicks far ahead, and puts pressure on Iturria! Lopez tries an approximate kick, recovered calmly by Allan. Aviron makes a mistake! Throw to follow….
20′ Orie volleys the ball, it’s sublime! And Sobela wins 15m in a bulldozer role that suits him like a glove!
19′ Fa’aso’o, you have to move him when the kick-off falls! The latter is still impeccable, and allows Allan to give his team some breathing room, touch on the halfway line!
18′ Allan shows the way to the posts, to try to put his team back in front…
17′ Advantage on a maul which knocks over everything in its path, under the eyes of a Posolo Tuilagi who is just asking to come back in!!!!
16′ Bruce Devaux is the strongest man in the Top 14!!! Superb touch found on the opponent’s 40m line!
15′ Great defense from the Catalans who force Erbintaregaray to go forward! Scrum for USAP on their 30m line!
14′ Allan’s throw-in is straight into touch… oops! Scrum in the centre for the Basques, apulit to ensure that this numerical inferiority doesn’t turn into a damp squib!
After a good job of undermining the big guys, the Fijian center is launched full bar in the interval, and only has to plant the leather behind the line! Transformed by Lopez, 7-7!
12′ And the sanction is not long in coming, Maqala punishes the blood and gold…
And it’s a rusk against the British will-o’-the-wisp… the USAP is going to have to close ranks!
Crossdale intercepted, but illegally! But the referee calls the video, wanting to control a deliberate forward pass by the Catalan winger…
11′ Ball fumbled and in the end it’s Bosch who grabs the ball, advantage at 5m….
10′ Lopez tries to occupy the camp with his foot, and takes the ball out to the USAP 5m line… watch out for the throw under pressure!
9′ On the return, McIntyre makes a high ball after the ball has been put into the 22m! Lopez is on the restart from the halfway line!
But what action from the Catalans behind this touch! The leather bounces from hand to hand after contact, and Veredamu manages to put Allan into orbit! The latter fixes perfectly for his winger, who will dive victoriously in queen! Allan transforms, and USAP leads 7-0!!!
7′ CROSSDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAALE !!!!! GOD SAVE ALIIIIIII !!!
6′ A scrum that is still as solid as ever for USAP who collect the penalty! Throw-in to follow on the halfway line!
5′ Oh, the opportunity wasted by Callandret!! Maqala fixes everyone thanks to his lightning supports, and tries a chistera for his winger… who stammers with the leather! And commits a handling error. Phew. Blood and gold scrum 10m from the line.
4′ Sobela who puts his big paws on the leather, and steals it from Paulos, it’s perfect! Immediately, the ball spurts to the wing… but McIntyre’s pass to Allan is forward. Ouch. Bayonne scrum on the 22m.
3′ The maul is stopped, and Ecochard makes a pin! But Veredamu makes a mistake when the ball falls, with a high tackle… here is Bayonne on the opposing 30m.
Orabé returns the favor, and finds a superb touch, at the edge of the 40m blood and gold.
2′ The throw is short for this rascal Facundo Bosch, who serves Ituria! But the good Catalan scratching is put in place, and Allan puts the pressure with a kicking game!!
1′ Fa’aso’o receives the ball, impeccable! McIntyre takes advantage to clear his team, but only finds touch shortly before his 40m.
It’s on here in Bayonne for the kick-off of the Top 14, and as usual, VISCA USAP!!!
A minute of silence, in homage to Medhi Narjissi, will be held before this meeting…
The two teams enter the field, soon it’s time for the first shivers… we’re already salivating!
Kick-off is imminent, and both teams are in the corridor!
So, as we can see for this first line-up of the season, the blood and gold staff has bet on the continuity of last year! Thus, only six recruits are listed on paper (Editor’s note: two among the starters, four on the bench)! In any case, on paper, this Catalan team looks great. And could well strike a big blow right away against an Aviron that everyone announces as moribund for the coming year, but which we will obviously have to be wary of, author of an XXL recruitment with Manu Tuilagi (absent today) and Joris Segonds at the forefront…
Enough to send shivers down your spine: the Penya Bayonna, sung by the entire Jean-Dauger stadium. Superb!
Hellooo …