BAYONNE BAYONNETTED by pitprop

Yes, I know, pretty obvious but it couldn't be resisted, particularly as it popped into your correspondent's head on the flight south. About a hundred die-hard Sale fans made the trip out to southwest France for the Bayonne leg of this season's ECC, not many, although the noise they made certainly came across on the tele. If Ryanair wants to continue to make money out of Sale fans then they're going to have to lay on more flights from northwest airports to destinations such as Biarritz and Toulouse, because the drag down to Stansted surely reduced the take-up of seats on Saleair 792.

We know that the Brennus figures large in all French clubs' psyches, and that only the top teams rate the Heinie as well. But the Bic Biro.................? A picture of a deep Gallic shrug leaps into one's mind. That attitude is confirmed by the coverage of rugby by L'Equipe; the Heinie, yes, spread all over, but the second level coverage is all about Pro D2, despite the fact that there are eight Top 14 teams in the ECC. Midol devotes a couple of pages to it, but the journalism confirms the lack of interest in the Bic Biro: “Like good numbers of French teams engaged in the ECC, Bayonne have not truly targeted continental competititon ................. Qualification for the final phases aren't truly the order of the day for the Blue and Whites”. So we'd travelled with uncertainty as to how large the challenge from Avirons Bayonne would loom.

Stade Jean Dauger is a super stadium, with two good stands on either side, holding in total 12,000. Local sources put the crowd at 8,000, pushed up by parents bringing their youngsters to see France's new hero, the Caveman. A thrill of expectation ran round the ground when Seabass trotted out to join the team warm-up. A Basque choir entertained us (shades of the old quarter in San Sebastian), and a pregnant horse dressed in Bayonne colours circled the running track twice on a mini-motorcycle before leaping up to balance on the advertising boards to whip up the crowd. Where was Sharky when you needed him? And more to the point, where was 'elf & safety?

There had been several showers of fine rain prior to the kick-off, leaving the surface a little greasy. Bayonne's colours were the traditional pale blue and white, while Sale got some mileage from the black and red European strip. Sharlay Hodgsonne reappeared in a Sale shirt to take the kick-off and the game started. Manny Edmonds attempted a clearance from the kick-off reception, but was charged down by Wiggy.

Unfortunately the ball rebounded over the dead ball line. On 2 minutes, both Sebastiens took the ball up and Charlie chipped forward, straight into the hands of Manny Edmonds, who broke some 30 metres upfield before feeding the supporting Gerber on the left wing. Laharrague went high, was brushed off and Gerber was over. Dourthe's conversion attempt came off the left upright. The bayonnais version of “Allez, allez” broke out, a bad sign so early.

Sale put pressure on AB, and moved the ball left and right, pulling Bayonne into an offside incursion on the 22 metre on the left. Sharlay duly goaled on 6 minutes. Sale continued the softening-up process through the forwards with Lobbe and Seabass taking it up. From a quickly-taken Bruno throw at a formed line-out on the opposition 10 metre before the Bayonne pack could attend, Big Tam took it down and the drive started, both props taking it on. They fed Charlie who clipped the cross-kick to the left wing. Ripol had to break stride to take it before bouncing off a tackle and turning the ball back inside to Mayor running a diagonal line back across the defence to score. Hodgson pushed the conversion attempt to the right. Nine minutes of the game had passed, Sale had shrugged off the first Bayonne try, and were looking to establish superiority fore and aft.

Part of the game plan seemed to be kicking to move the elderly Richard Dourthe (aged 33) around, who is the heartbeat (and on the night probably the best player) of les blue et blancs. The kicks must be deadly accurate, for even the slightest error meant that the old man would return it with interest, one kick bamboozling Larry2 on 14 minutes. Five minutes later Dourthe took an up and under with Sale players all over him and returned it 45 metres past Charlie to set up an attack. From the lineout Chabal took it up and coughed it up. Two phases later Vermis slipped past tackles from Bruno ( a rare event) and Lund in the middle before popping the ball to Jacques Deen. The South African evaded White and Cox before crashing over to the left of the posts.

Dourthe converted to bring the score to 12-8 and game back on, prompting another chorus of “Allez!”

Sale's response was almost immediate. From a lineout five metres inside Bayonne's half, Cox fed Wiggy at the back. Keil's cut out pass across the decoying Seabass and Ripol found Chris Mayor going like a train and taking the outside arc round his man. When challenged by Dourthe, he passed slightly behind Laharrague on his outside, who stuck out a telescopic arm behind him to reel the ball in. Impetus disrupted he shipped the ball onto Lamont, and the Scot was over in the right corner, despite the attentions of two defenders. Charlie's kick came off the left post and the score remained at 12-13, and the Sharks never looked back.

Two minutes later, a Dourthe up and under, chased hard by Gerber, dropped into Nacho's welcoming arms on our 22 metre. He fed the waiting Laharrague, whose break took him through the Basque defence like a hot knife through garlic and herb butter. He faded right to hold the wing and fed Wiggy on his inside on AB's ten metre line. Wiggy was off to the races, scoring half way out on the right. Charlie's radar locked on and the conversion went home. 12-20.

Another three minutes and Hodgson's seeming impatience to sew up the game came to the fore. Salle-Canne kicked ahead and Charlie gathered between our ten and 22 lines. He fed Laharrague in midfield and they set Ripol loose on the left. When he was tackled the forwards freed the ball quickly, Laharrague was involved again as dummy half feeding Sheri for the charge. Keil ran straight in the middle before a high tackle cut him down on Bayonne's 22, where he still had the presence of mind to release the ball to the No 10. He stepped to the left, rounding Nacho, and cutting between the hooker and prop, sprinted to the line. Dourthe was distraught, conversion made from in front, 28 minutes gone, 12-27, try bonus under the belt, every likelihood of the win, et “Allez!” était allé.

Bayonne were not quite dead, and a counter-attack following a loose clearance kick made inroads down Sale's right. When pulled back for a forward pass, the Sale support offered the ref a pint! Sale put the pressure on with Lamont and Seabass carrying and making ground. Dourthe was forced into a hurried clearance and Bruno had the throw-in on the Sale left 30 metres out from AB's tryline. Cox took it cleanly and dropped it into the waiting hands of White, who swept round the front of the lineout. When slowed down he switched the ball inside to Bruno who made ground into the 22. The ball came back on a plate for Charlie, who had Seabass running interference for him. Keil took the ball into the defensive line and offloaded to Mayor, who was drifting to the outside of his man. Having attracted the defence, Mayor fed Lamont who went over in the corner. Charlie pushed it to the right, but hardly anyone was watching. Half-time came at 12-32, and in an unusual development, stewards escorted the officials off the park.

Faure came on for Sheri after the break, but Bayonne had a root and branch clearout, with five replacements on. Five minutes in saw Faure and Bruno extracting a penalty from the AB front row for standing up and Charlie kicked to the corner. From the ensuing lineout the forwards churned it infield, and Bruno drove over, unfortunately dropping the ball.

Big Tam came off on 50 minutes for blood, but there was no respite for the Bleu et Blancs, as the younger Lobbe brother trotted on. Elder Lobbe took up the captain's reins. On 53 minutes, after a knock forward in midfield on Sale's 10-metre line, Sharks countered to the right. The forwards drove it up to halfway, and Charlie's boot once again sought to evade the Bayonne fullback. Dourthe, tight to the left touchline, hoofed it back to halfway and Sale attacked again. Laharrague took it back into AB territory and passed left to Wiggy on the touchline. He turned it back in to the charging Mayor, who found Ripol goal-hanging 20 metres out on the left touchline – and a try was scored. After the failed conversion, Schoey replaced Nacho both as second row and captain. Almost his first duty was to receive (along with fellow captain Richard Dourthe) a lecture on players continuing after the whistle.

After 57 minutes, Bayonne for a change were driving the ball up into the Sale 22 on the right. The pass between Edmonds and his centre went to ground, and Hodgson's boot rattled it away to half way. A Bayonne player went down on the ball, and Ripol crouched over him, ripping for the ball. He got it too, and pitched it out to Mayor who off-loaded to Hodgson. He drifted to the left touchline pulling the defenders with him. Quick hands found Larry2 and even quicker hands found Mayor (one of four potential receivers) with a clear 22 metres to run. The conversion to leave the score at 12-44 was Charlie's last contribution, as he was replaced by Lilo, with Wiggy moving to flyhalf. Briggs replaced Bruno, and AB took the opportunity for Massabeau to replace Marmouyet on the flank.

Wiggy has never let Sale down playing at No 10, and the game continued to flow. But the almost uncanny vision had gone with his predecessor.

Bayonne played an open game too, hoping that the replacements would disrupt Sale's rhythm. On 63 mins Jason White came on with his head bandaged for Lund and Tilloles replaced Dourthe, whose torn adductor will prevent him coming to EP. More replacements followed as Iguinitz rejoined the fray to cover for Kopaliani, and the unnumbered Stan came on to see if could wrest a little of the glory from Rory Lamont.

Benjamin Lhande limped off the field on 71 minutes and was not replaced, as the Bayonne bench had been stripped bare. Sale's last man Stu Turner came on for the last six minutes to replace Eifion, who'd had a good game starting at tight head against French opposition.

Bayonne were slowing up, their players having neither the fitness nor physicality to match Sale. A number of their replacements looked out of their depth. Nevertheless it took Sale some 8 minutes against 14 men to manufacture a threatening position. Wiggy kicked long and Salle-Canne, under chasing pressure, hooked the clearance, leading to a lineout about

15 metres out from the Bayonne line. Briggs' accurate throw found Corcho and Cox fed Lilo, who set off on a diagonal angle towards the posts. He dummied to Lionel, fended off Edmonds and was through to score by the left post. There were no Sale fans close by to witness his half-hearted shark's fin celebration. Wiggy booted it through to take the score to 12-51, and shortly after the whistle signalled the end of the game.

That was the signal for hundreds of young French fans to invade the pitch with but one thought on their mind – to wish Seabass happy thirtieth! He had his own escort off the pitch. He was not the only popular target – Ju-Ju seemed to attract the young teenage ladies, and could not leave the field until he had parted with his socks! In contrast Lionel spent his time greeting his extended family, who'd made the trip up to see him play.

Sale played extremely well. The backs dominated their opposite numbers, the game and the try-scoring. The pack also played very well, but never overplayed their hand. The balance against this level of opposition was good. The Sky presenters were effusive in their praise, but naturally enough, PSA, though he couldn't hide his delight, was keen to stress that the performance was not perfect. Letting through two easy tries will exercise Kingsley and the squad this week. But Sale will have to concentrate hard to maintain and improve their performance, and they have the spectre of the Leicester home game to come hanging over them to help in this respect.

Bayonne by contrast will have mentally moved on from the ECC and are already talking about receiving Perpignan at home next week. Five players injured on Saturday night will not travel, and their inspirational captain will be a spectator. Their management admit that they are not at “the courts of the great” implying that Sale are – which is nice, but only heavyweight silverware will confirm that. Their DoR Elissalde stated that the result on Thursday is not in doubt, and that he expects that his team will ship seventy points.

Man of the Match caused some discussion among the travelling fans, with Coxy to the fore. Midol gave Charlie 3 out of 3 stars, and two stars to Bruno, Nacho, Cox and Sheri. From your reporters point of view, Charlie's kicking from the ground let him down, and Bruno threw a few wayward throw-ins. The outside attacking triangle impressed most, with Laharrague an attacking revelation, and Lamont's strong running a constant threat. But Mayor's speed and lines took the eye, and he scored two and was heavily involved in three others, and for that is Man of the Match. We may just have found our outside centre to go with McAllister at No 12.

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