Bayonne (AFP)
Bayonne won their first win of the season at home by logically defeating Castres private defensive bonus (27-17) on Saturday for the fourth day of the Top 14.
This second victory of the season allows the Basques to get into the top six.
For Castres the transition between Christophe Urios, left to Bordeaux-Bègles and Mauricio Reggiardo, arrived from Agen to replace him at the head of the Tarnais is more laborious. Beaten for the third consecutive time, the CO occupies a slightly glowing 12th place.
To build his success, Bayonne first took advantage of the indiscipline castraise Brandon Fajardo has made it grow (6-0, 11th). The Basques were then rewarded for their dominance at half an hour on a test of Aymeric Luc following a collective action initiated in their 22 meters (14-3, 29th).
"We were not good in the rucks, we got caught in defense, we can not defend together," said Reggiardo.
Logically ahead at the break (17-3), the men of Yannick Bru bowed the spine after the locker room on the second test of the season center Thomas Combezou (17-10, 48th).
As the debates began to balance, Bayonne again offered some air thanks to a test granted after video on the 3rd line Filimo Taofifenua (24-10, 54). The reduction in the CO score, thanks to Julien Caminati at the end of the day, did not change the final result (24-17, 60th).
Full of control, Bayonne did not give an inch and finally won without fear a major success in the race to maintain. "There is satisfaction because it was important to win this first win at home, and we had a little bit of pressure on our shoulders" (after two consecutive defeats), said Bayonne manager Yannick Bru.
Castres, for its part, will already be back to the wall at the next day and the reception of Agen, a crucial match for the sake of his ambitions. "I'm not worried but today, we're in the tough, where we see the men," said the manager castrais.
© 2019 AFP