Too many overdue sectors
Then things got worse. Or rather the CO made them more complicated. Already by approximations which undermined the will of the Tarnais to try shots, but above all by this faithful indiscipline, never far from Castres this season. Penalized 19 times, the “blue and white” notably played for 10 minutes at 12 after two yellow cards awarded to Geoffrey Palis and Asier Usarraga in quick succession (20, 21). The yellow of the former Bayonnais, sent to the fridge for having collapsed the maul, illustrated in passing all the difficulty of the Castres in defending the balls carried by their opponents.
There were also these silly mistakes, like this airborne grip by Filipo Nakosi on Guillaume Rouet (40). All this to lead to a penalty touch in the 22 meters, then a try from Sireli Maqala, taking advantage of a light defense from Nakosi, and late from Palis (10-24, 40 + 1). Enough to annihilate the reduction in Tom Staniforth’s score a few minutes earlier (10-17, 38).
Too many sectors have suffered, like the touch where several ammo was wasted, or even the rucks. The Tarnais being overthrown by a Bayonne effort which ended with a try from Maxime Machenaud (10-41, 67). If Jeremy Davidson praised the commitment of his troops, perhaps “too important at times”, he is fully aware that the Castres site will be far from easy.
Bayonne 41 – Castres 10
MT : 24-10; 13,342 spectators (sold out); referee Mr. Blasquo Baque (Occitanie)
Winners: 5E penalty (21), Pourailly (25), Maqala (40 + 1), Cassiem (61), Machenaud (67); 4T, 2P (17, 44) Lopez
Defeated: 1E Staniforth (38) ; 1T, 1P (7) Urdapilleta
Score evolution: 0-3, 3-3, 10-3, 17-3, 17-10, 24-10/27-10, 34-10, 41-10
BAYONNE : Orabé; Pourailly (Buliruarua, 62), Maqala, David, Baget (o) Lopez (Dolhagaray, 68), (m) Rouet (Machenaud, 62) ; Heguy (Marchois, 68), Cassiem, Huguet ; Ceyte (Mikautadze, 59), Marchois (cap., Leindekar, 50) ; Cotet (Scholtz, 62), Bosch (Van Jaarsveld, 62), Perchaud (Cormenier, 50)
Rempl. time. : David by Buliruarua (51-63, bleeding)
CASTRES: Dumora (cap., Le Brun, 69) ; Palis, Cocagi, Botitu, I lie (o) Urdapilleta, (m) Arata (Doubrère, 71) ; Maravat, Kornath (Cope, 62), Usarraga (De Crespigny, 50) ; Nakarawa (Vanverberghe, 58, then Nakarawa, 63), Staniforth (Usarraga, 68) ; Hounkpatin (62), Humbert (Colonna, 50), Tichit (Walcker, 50)
Exclude time : Palis (20, foul play), Usarraga (21, foul play)
Match score: 12/20 – Man of the Match: Camille LOPEZ (Bayonne)
