Late Penalty Try Keeps Bayonne in the Tie

By Jason Harris
October 25 2004

Saracens go into Friday's first round, second leg tie against Bayonne three points ahead after winning 24-21 in an entertaining contest played in perfect conditions at Stade Jean Dauger on Saturday. Robbie Kydd was instrumental in keeping the Men in Black ahead with a personal tally of 16 points.

The Kiwi fullback scored a try and kicked three penalties give Sarries a deserved win after the Men in Black settled down down following two calamatous lapses early on in the game.

After just five minutes the hosts were 7-0 up courtesy of try from Louis Massabeau; the Bayonne captain and flanker emerging from the bottom of the pile after his side drove over the line from their fourth phase inside the Sarries 22, with outside half Todd Feather adding the conversion.

Two minutes later and Sarries were 14-0 behind courtesy of an interception try from wing Loa Milford who picked off a looping pass out wide to score untouched. The extras were, once again, added by Feather.

The men in Black shrugged off these early setbacks and hit back on 12 minutes. Bayonne were penalised 40m out for offside in midfield; captain Hugh Vyvyan elected to kick for the corner rather than for goal and Mark Bartholomeusz duly obliged. The ensuing lineout was won and Simon Raiwalui went charging into the heart of the Bayonne defence. Kydd was there in support and he gave the scoring pass to Raphael Ibanez before converting to half the defecit.

Further Sarries pressure came to nought as first Vvyyan was denied in the corner and then Sarries were turned over after 5m lineout, but the home side were now becoming increasingly desperate in defence and were being penalised at regular intervals. On the half hour Kydd stepped up to boot a goal from 40m to make it 14-10 Bayonne.

The try of the evening came on 34 minutes as Saracens - and Kydd - ran their hosts ragged. A counter-atttack from deep inside the Sarries 22 sent the ball out to the right and Kydd took it on his own 10 metre line. A mazy 60m run followed and Kydd used Richard Haughton as a foil as he first dummied to him, stepped inside off his right foot and just beat the Bayonne cover to score. Unfortunately for Kydd and for Sarries, the conversion was missed but the Men in Black were now ahead 15-14 and it stayed like that until the break.

However, Saracens had to end the first half and begin the second without Richard Haughton who was harshly sin-binned for not releasing in the tackle 10 metres inside his own half. Italian referee Giulio De Santis was consistent in his application of the law,though, and as Haughton returned to the field, Bayonne were reduced to 14 after an idential offence in a virtually identical part of the field.

The pressure was telling once more on the home side who were condecing a lot of penalties for offside as they tried to keep the Men in Black at Bay. Kydd added two more goals on 46 and 51 minutes to take the Sarries total to 21 and replacement stand-off Nicky little put Sarries 24-14 ahead with nine minutes left to play.

Bayonne, however, were not going down without a fight and were unlucky to have a try disallowed in the final few minutes because Mr De Santis - who left the field surrounded by Bayonne Stewards - deemded the quick tap penalty leading to the touchdown had ben takend from the wrong place.

This decision stirred the French side into further all-out attack which was rewarded with an injury-time penalty try after Sarries had collapsed the Bayonne rolling maul that one time too many for the referee. Replacement Tilloles drop kicked the additional two points but time had run out for the team in blue and white who have now to overturn that three point defecit at Vicarage Road on Friday night.

Bayonne 21 (T: Massabeau, Milford, penalty; C: Feather(2), Tilloles)
Saracens 24 (T: Ibanez, Kydd; C: Kydd; PG Kydd (2), Little)