Top 14 round one: Bayonne surprises Toulon
In a match that was tight the whole way, Bayonne was able to do just enough late to pull out an away victory against a league favourite.
Bayonne took a solid lead into the second half, but allowed Toulon to get back in the game. Nevertheless, Bayonne was able to rally late and upset the home side 26-22, in one of the round’s most exciting matches.
Recap
Toulon opened up the scoring when Felipe Contepomi hammered home a penalty in just the game’s fifth minute, to give the home side a three-point advantage.
Bayonne did not wait long to respond however, as Yahan Huget trotted across the line in the 10th minute, with Benjamin Boyet hitting the conversion to give the underdogs a 7-3 lead.
Boyet would add to the advantage putting through two penalties in the row, in the 26th and 30th minutes respectively, to give the away side a 13-3 lead.
However, Contepomi helped Toulon storm back just before the half, hitting two penalties in the 33rd and 40th minutes to narrow Bayonne’s lead to 13-9 at halftime.
After the break Contepomi got his team within one, striking a penalty in the 51st minute. However it was countered by a penalty from Bayonne, courtesy of scrum-half Julien Audy only four minutes later.
The game remained stagnant until Toulon was rewarded a penalty try in the 68th minute, and after Contepomi hit the conversion Toulon took a 19-16 lead.
It looked as though Toulon had the game in the bag when Contepomi and Boyet traded penalties in the 70th minute to make it 22-19. However, only five minutes later Huget marched across the line for his second try of the game, and when Boyet hit the conversion the game was put out of reach.
Bayonne were able to hold onto their late four-point advantage to complete the upset over Toulon.
Bayonne got incredible games from Huget, and Boyet, who accounted for all of the team’s points except for three.
Unfortunately for Toulon they left all their scoring up to Contepomi who rallied for 17 of the 22 points, with the rest coming from the late penalty try.
Analysis
For Bayonne the win is huge. Thought to have an outside chance of making the play-offs Bayonne proved that they plan on being a real force during the 2010-11 season.
Toulon looked inept on offence, and could not shutdown Bayonne when they needed to the most. If they plan on challenging for the championship this season they are going to have to come together as a club, and stop leaving all their scoring to their boots.
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