LThe tide is turning very quickly in the Basque Country. And particularly in Biarritz where, in one month, the club went from comfortable 4th wanting to take care of its content to worrying 12th which monitors the results from below so as not to sweat too much. More worrying: the behavior of Boris Bouhraoua's players, who seemed to let go of a match they were leading against Agenais reduced to 14 this Thursday. Enough to see the manager swap the role of daddy hen for that of a strict father, calling into question the attitude of some of his players.
Pro D2: SU Agen gives itself some breathing room by pushing into Biarritz
Outnumbered for almost an hour and leading 5-19, the SUA overthrew the BO with a 34-7 to sign its first success in 2025 (39-26) and distance itself from the red zone. The Biarrots have further jeopardized their chances of qualification
“We are falling from a height. I'm disappointed because we said things to each other and we didn't do it. I'm disappointed with the defense, I'm disappointed with… It's always the same people who commit, said the Biarritz manager. There aren't enough players who are at 100% commitment level, so it's not possible to exist. »
An attitude that contrasts with that displayed until now by Boris Bouhraoua, who since the start of the season has placed himself as a lightning rod for criticism after the poor performances of his team. Also gone is the unfailing positivism of the coach, who announced a future sorting between his players: “The opportunity we have is to see a little bit who the athletes are, the high-level athletes. Who can raise their heads for Biarritz Olympique. Those who do not want to do it, unfortunately, are not high-level athletes. »
Unanswered questions
After the sermon, come the questions. That of knowing how his players could have collapsed to this extent in the face of an SUA punished with a red card (Lombart-Buret) in the 23rd minute; that of understanding what is going on in the minds of the Biarrots, absent from 80% of their last two meetings; that, finally, of knowing if behind the facade speeches, the withdrawal of 5 points by the LNR and the exit from the top 6 did not mark a certain mental break.
-“I don’t think so,” said scrum-half Kerman Aurrekoetxea. We just focus week by week. We are not doing calculations, looking at the rankings. It's no use. » Obviously in restraint so as not to say too much, the Spanish international continued with the reasons for the failure of his team: “I wouldn't really like to give any answers because I didn't see the match, I was sure the field, focused on my role. We will analyze the match. I cannot give a precise answer. »
Watch out for the end of the season
We will have to find some quickly, perhaps as early as this week in view of the more than perilous trip to Grenoble on Friday (9 p.m.). “We still have a big test of character next week at the Stade des Alpes. There are going to be some difficult nights in terms of thinking. » If a success for the 1st would be a miracle, the slightest burst of pride in relation to Agen's performance would serve as an improvement.
And would, perhaps, rebuild an identity for this team. Essential otherwise you will experience a more than complicated end to the season. The Biarrots are currently in the soft underbelly of Pro D2. It's up to them not to fall further, still hoping for a successful appeal to the FFR to regain the 5 points confiscated by the LNR. Kerman Aurrekoetxea sums up, always laconic: “Now we have understood that we are not so beautiful. »
Four more injured
The slap received in Agen will leave its mark on the Biarrots. In the heads, but not only that, since four of them returned from Armandie injured. “When it’s negative, it becomes very negative,” whispered BO manager Boris Bouhraoua. We are adding injured people who we will miss for next week. It's part of a season. »
Scheduled on the match sheet, Kylian Jaminet finally had to give up his place on the bench to François Vergnaud. The rear suffers from adductor problems and will be absent for three weeks, his coach said. Charlie Matthews left the field five minutes after returning from the locker room, limping very low. The 2nd row was hit in the right knee when Bastien Guillemin, tackled, fell on him. He will have to take exams.
Same thing for winger Gervais Cordin, who had to abandon his partners in the 38th minute, injured his right ankle in a tackle by Valentin Gayraud. Finally, the 3rd row Ekain Imaz Agirre came out at the break, victim of a “big KO”, according to Boris Bouhraoua.
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