Tops
Aviron Bayonnais’ dream start to the season: in a sold-out stadium to welcome the reigning French champions, the Basques settled their first-half inaccuracies to win without shaking thanks to a try from Baget (54th) and drops/penalties from Lopez to widen the gap. Here they are leaders of the championship while waiting for the other matches of the 1st day
We left Camille Lopez last season with stratospheric performances, we saw him this summer throwing keys at the Bayonne Holidays, and having a little “Russian” overweight during the pre-match, but the Mauléonais was simply paramount. Able to allow his team to breathe with good pressure foot play, the former Clermontois spent two well-felt drops (40th, 51st) and a penalty (45th) to widen the gap on the scoreboard. In short, the best opener in the Top 14 for a season.
While the back position was one of the weak points of the Basque formation since Germain’s injury against Montpellier on November 28, Tom Spring, little brother of Max Spring, full back at Racing 92, was excellent this evening and signed his best performance. Author of a few well-felt raises, he was reliable on high balls and decisive on Baget’s try with a good run (54th).
One of the rare satisfactions on the Toulouse side concerns Sofiane Guitoune. At 34, the former player of the XV of France, who announced that he will retire at the end of the season, was solid in contact and skilful with the ball in hand before experiencing a more neutral second period. It was even he who gave himself the first try of the season for his final season with the Rouge et Noir.
Flops
Ten forwards in the first period, and countless lost balls in the first period. If the performance of Roumat is to be highlighted in the Toulouse alignment, the lack of precision in the announcements and the combinations on the Blue and White side will give work to the staff of Grégory Patat during the coming week. The humidity in the Basque Country cannot justify all the errors of the first period.
The champion of France suspected it, they will have to hang on during the first three days of the championship, without their 17 international selected in selections. The Top 14 break will allow them to leave with their full squad after the World Cup, but the reception of Montpellier next Sunday (9:05 p.m.) promises to be hot.
