Bayonne, thanks to a double from the inevitable Sireli Maqala, confirmed in front of its audience its excellent dynamic and its new status this season with a prestigious victory over Toulouse (12-8), Sunday at the end of the ninth day of Top 14 .
Toulouse without its French internationals
Having just come back from Pro D2, Aviron Bayonnais created a surprise in 2023 by finishing in eighth place after having been in the race for qualification for the final phase for a long time.
The Basque club, accustomed for years to making the elevator between the elite and the lower tier, is today fourth in the ranking and its presence among the big teams is no longer entirely an incongruity.
On Sunday, in prime time, he claimed the scalp of the reigning French and European champions, and a fourth consecutive victory which begins to make him an increasingly credible candidate for the top 6 in June.
Stade Toulouse was deprived of eight of its French internationals, led by Antoine Dupont, retained with the French XV in Marcoussis for the autumn tests.
Bayonne more realistic
But he had enough good players on his scoresheet, between Juan Cruz Mallia, Jack Willis and Anthony Jelonch, released by the Blues staff, to be able to compete.
We must therefore take nothing away from the merit of the Bayonnais, who found the necessary ingredients, as often at home, to upset Toulouse, still leader thanks to the bonus point won on Basque soil.
They first showed a lot of intensity and commitment, like their opponent, which earned Jelonch a yellow card, bordering on red, for a high tackle on his opposite number Giovanni Habek-Küffner.
They were also more realistic than Toulouse, whose territorial domination remained sterile until the try of Fijian winger Setareki Bituniyata on the hour mark.
Iturria injured in the shoulder
Bayonne for its part had scored on its first foray into the opposing 22 meters, by another Fijian, Maqala (15th), who did it again two minutes from the end, thanks to a beautiful dive, while the Rouge et Noir had passed ahead of the score on a penalty from Blair Kinghorn.
With this double, the Bayonne center is now the only top scorer in the championship with eight tries in as many matches.
Despite the loss in the eighth minute of their captain and second line Arthur Iturria, hit in the left shoulder, the Basques were rewarded for their defensive solidarity and their combativeness.
The next two weeks of rest during the international window will surely not be too much to recover from this fight.
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