Biarritz get dour win

Biarritz got their season off to a late running start with a 12-7 win away to Brive on Friday, in an atrocious Top 14 match.

Brive goal-kicker Maxime Petitjean missed no less than five kicks at goal which may well have seen the result reversed.

Most of those kicks came in the first half, in which Brive were much the better of the two teams.

The hosts opened the scoring in the twelfth minute with the game’s only try, with prop Fabien Domingo finishing off a break from an interception by former Saracen Ben Johnston.

Petitjean, who had already missed one penalty, converted the try from in front of the posts, but went on to miss three shots at goal.

Biarritz kicker Dimitri Yachvili also missed an early penalty, but found his range in minutes 16 and 20 to leave the teams only a point apart at half-time at 7-6.

Petitjean missed his fifth penalty early in the second half, and then the visitors found their rhythm, with Yachvili landing two more quickfire shots at goal either side of the hour mark.

The home team had run out of steam by then, and only another miss from Yachvili with two minutes remaining helped them garner a bonus point for their efforts.

However Biarritz, under fire for their poor play so far, will not find the critics sympathetic despite the win, which was once again tryless and largely devoid of inspiration.

The scorers:

For Brive:
Try: Fabien Domingo
Con: Maxime Petitjean

For Biarritz:
Pens: Dimitri Yachvili 4