Bayonne travel to Auch for the Second Leg of their European Shield semi-final on Saturday bitterly disappointed to have only a two point advantage from the home First Leg of the all-French affair.
"I still feel a little frustrated about our First Leg game against Auch," said full back Clément Fromont. "We had our hands on the ball for 80 minutes and, as usual, our forwards put in a tremendous physical performance.
"But we let them get back into the game in the second half which has put them in a favourable position for the return leg. We know that they are waiting for us and, with, them facing relegation from the Top 16, they have nothing to lose.
"However, obviously we are disappointed not to be playing against a Scottish or English team as it takes away the exotic nature of this sort of competition. With the French teams we know each other like the backs of our hands, and with Auch, we know them by heart.
"The strength of Bayonne lies in our capacity to pick up momentum and keep the ball alive. We are starting to play with more and more enthusiasm and suddenly find ourselves taking a massive pleasure in playing.
"However, we still need to be more patient in defence or we risk conceding easy points. Above all, Auch have a reputation for tenacity and they never give up.
"Having said that, no matter how valiant and brave they are, they seem to struggle physically as a team because they don't have any really big players.
"As far as our defeat in the First Leg is concerned, we are facing the Second Leg feeling confident. It's going to be a lot of hard work but it's definitely worth it.
"It's the first time Bayonne has participated in the European Challenge Cup and European Shield and this whole experience has enriched the culture of the club.
"It's been great to play against Spanish and Italian teams. Just thinking about these matches makes me impatient for next season!"
