All change at Bayonne

The Top 14 outfit have sacked Thierry Mentieres and Jean-Philippe Coyola just days before the Round 5 encounter at the Stade Jean Dauger.

The pair only took the reigns this season but disappointing form in Europe and in their domestic league have led to their early exit.

Bayonne currently sit third in Pool 4 of the Amlin Challenge Cup with two wins and two defeats from their opening four games.

Both those victories came in the first two rounds of action, with successive defeats to London Wasps in rounds 3 and 4 leaving them highly unlikely to qualify for the knockout stages.

Mentieres and Coyola have lost their jobs at a time when Bayonne are struggling to avoid relegation from the Top 14.

Bayonne are six points adrift of safety having played 16 games of a 26-game regular season.

Former Toulouse coach Christian Gajan is expected to be named as the replacement for Mentieres and Coyola later this week.

The 52-year-old has had plenty of previous coaching experience having taken charge of Castres, Rodez, Benetton Treviso, Venice, Japanese side Fukuoka and the Czech Republic national team.

Gajan led Castres to the European Shield in 2003, two years after taking Toulouse to the Top 14 crown.