European Club Rugby : Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque v Newport Gwent Dragons

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Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque v Newport Gwent Dragons

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	49 - 13	Newport Gwent Dragons
Parc des Sports Aguilera, Biarritz Att: 6,000
Referee: Peter Allan
Sunday 13th December 2009, 13:45
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Match report

Biarritz Olympique put one foot in the Heineken Cup quarter-finals with a huge win over a a demoralised Dragons at the Parc des Sports Aguilera.

The home side were dominant in the front eight and incisive in the back divsion as they marched over for five tries, plus a penalty try to inflict the heaviest Heineken Cup defeat on the Welsh region.

The deafeat was worse that the 45-17 loss to London Irish in 2007, and leaves Paul Turners men trailing in Pool 2 by nine points.

Centre Tom Riley scored a second half consolation try for the visitors but the damage was already done as Biarritz put the Dragons to the sword in a thrilling first-half display.

Dragons head coach Paul Turner could only watch on as his men was out-classed, out-fought and out-muscled but ill-disciplined also compounded their woes.

Forwards Hugh Gustafson and Grant Webb were sin-binned in the first half as the Welsh side contributed to their own downfall.

And they could not afford to hand the numerical advantage to Biarritz who capitalised instantly with an 18th minute penalty try.

Further scores were to follow as group leaders Biarritz added tries from Dimitri Vachvili, Takudzwa Ngwenya, Valentin Courrent and a brace for England wing Iain Balshaw as the gap widens to nine points in Pool Two.

The Dragons are level with Glasgow Warriors on five points but now must beat Biarritz at Rodney Parade next Friday to keep their slim qualification hopes of reaching the last eight alive.

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Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque

Newport Gwent Dragons

Pos

Player

Pos

Iain Balshaw

Jason Tovey

Takudzwa Ngwenya

Aled Brew

Karmichael Hunt

Rhodri Gomer-Davies

Damien Traille

Tom Riley

Ilikena Bolakoro

Richard Fussell

Julien Peyrelongue

James Arlidge (capt)

Dimitri Yachvili

Wayne Evans

Fabien Barcella

Hugh Gustafson

Benoit August

Duane Goodfield

Rémy Hugues

Peter Bracken

Jérôme Thion (capt)

Adam Jones

Pelu Taele

Robert Sidoli

Magnus Lund

Dan Lydiate

Samiu Vahafolau

Gavin Thomas

Florian Faure

Grant Webb

Replacements

Romain Terrain

Tom Willis

Eduard Coetzee

Alistair McKenzie

Campbell Johnstone

Gethin Robinson

Manuel Carizza

Hoani MacDonald

Trevor Hall

Joe Bearman

Valentin Courrent

Alex Walker

Arnaud Mignardi

Martyn Thomas

Nicolas Brusque

Will Harries

Penalty Tries

First half timeline
4	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Penalty kick - D Yachvili
6	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - H MacDonald on for D Lydiate
9	Newport Gwent Dragons	Penalty kick - J Arlidge
13	Newport Gwent Dragons	Yellow card - H Gustafson
15	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Penalty kick - D Yachvili
17	Newport Gwent Dragons	Temporary sub - A McKenzie on for G Webb
19	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion -
19	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion - D Yachvili
24	Newport Gwent Dragons	Temporary sub - G Webb on for A McKenzie
26	Newport Gwent Dragons	Yellow card - G Webb
27	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Penalty kick - D Yachvili
28	Newport Gwent Dragons	Penalty kick - J Arlidge
31	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Try - D Yachvili
32	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion - D Yachvili
33	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Try - T Ngwenya
34	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion - D Yachvili
Second half timeline
41	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - G Robinson on for P Bracken
41	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - M Thomas on for J Tovey
44	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Try - I Balshaw
46	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - N Brusque on for T Ngwenya
50	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - J Bearman on for A Jones
50	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - A McKenzie on for H Gustafson
50	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - T Willis on for D Goodfield
57	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Try - I Balshaw
57	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - T Hall on for F Faure
57	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - M Carizza on for P Taele
57	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - V Courrent on for D Yachvili
57	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - R Terrain on for B August
58	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion - D Yachvili
58	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - E Coetzee on for F Barcella
59	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - A Walker on for W Evans
59	Newport Gwent Dragons	Substitution - W Harries on for R Fussell
61	Newport Gwent Dragons	Try - T Riley
61	Newport Gwent Dragons	Conversion - J Arlidge
61	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - A Mignardi on for K Hunt
67	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Substitution - C Johnstone on for M Lund
78	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Try - V Courrent
79	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	Conversion - V Courrent

Results so far

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque

Date	Stage	Opposition	Score
22/5/10	Final	Toulouse	L 19-21
2/5/10	Semi Finals	Munster	W 18-7
10/4/10	Quarter Finals	Ospreys	W 29-28
24/1/10	Pool 2	Glasgow Warriors	W 41-20
16/1/10	Pool 2	Gloucester Rugby	L 8-23
19/12/09	Pool 2	Newport Gwent Dragons	W 26-8
13/12/09	Pool 2	Newport Gwent Dragons	W 49-13
17/10/09	Pool 2	Gloucester Rugby	W 42-15
10/10/09	Pool 2	Glasgow Warriors	W 22-18

Newport Gwent Dragons

Date	Stage	Opposition	Score
24/1/10	Pool 2	Gloucester Rugby	L 23-32
15/1/10	Pool 2	Glasgow Warriors	L 25-29
19/12/09	Pool 2	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	L 8-26
13/12/09	Pool 2	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	L 13-49
16/10/09	Pool 2	Glasgow Warriors	W 22-14
9/10/09	Pool 2	Gloucester Rugby	L 17-19

Previous Heineken Cup meetings

Date	Stage	Home	Score	Away
Sat 19th Dec 09	Pool 2	Newport Gwent Dragons	8 - 26	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque
Sun 13th Dec 09	Pool 2	Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque	49 - 13	Newport Gwent Dragons

Heineken CupHistory

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque

2009/10 - Runners up

2008/09 - Pool 6

2007/08 - Pool 4

2006/07 - Quarter Finals

2005/06 - Runners up

2004/05 - Semi Finals

2003/04 - Semi Finals

2002/03 - Quarter Finals

2001/02 - Pool 3

2000/01 - Quarter Finals

Newport Gwent Dragons

2009/10 - Pool 2

2008/09 - Pool 5

2007/08 - Pool 1

2005/06 - Pool 1

2004/05 - Pool 5

2003/04 - Pool 1

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