Yachvili the ace for Biarritz

BIARRITZ maintained their unbeaten start in Pool Four of the Heineken Cup with an emphatic bonus-point home victory over Ulster.

Scrum-half Dimitri Yachvili was the architect for last season’s finalists with a 15-point tally, including three penalties and three conversions. Wing speedster Takudzwa Ngwenya grabbed a brace of second half-tries while Manuel Carizza and Sylvain Marconnet also crossed to seal maximum points for the French giants.

The result left Ulster empty-handed despite late consolation scores from Andrew Trimble and Stephen Ferris. The contest in the south-west of France had been billed as the biggest match in Ulster’s recent history since lifting the trophy against Colomiers in 1999.

But the defeat does not dampen the province’s pool hopes, according to director of coaching David Humphreys.

Humphreys said: “The competition is still wide open. We said at the start of the campaign that we needed to win all our home games, pick up a bonus point win at Aironi and try to get some points at Biarritz and Bath. We have four games left and there is plenty to play for. We were unbeaten before this game but we weren’t a great side.

” And we’re not a bad one after one game as we’re in a transitional stage. We won’t lose heart. We have to keep improving and make sure we’re ready for Bath in December.

“We’re aspiring to be a top team. We haven’t been making the number of errors we did today in previous games. This side must keep improving but we’ve got good players, some top-class internationals who are proven at the highest level. We have started the season very well in the Magners League and it’s now a big challenge for us to return and continue our form in that competition. There are four big games left but, although we are bruised and battered from this experience, we are now down and out.”

Ulster were tied at 3-3 heading into the break despite missing a series of chances.

Then 15 points from Dimitri Yachvili nudged the home side out of sight to leave the visitors empty-handed.

Humphreys said: “The game really showed the difference of experience in Europe between Biarritz and ourselves.

“We should have been 12-15 points clear but it was a different game in the second half. They came out, scored a good try before Yachvili dominated the game.”

Biarritz coach Jean-Michel Gonzalez said: “I wasn’t happy with our first-half performance and told the players at half-time. But we were much better in the second period.”

Ulster retired level at 3-3 but should have scored the opening try before the interval when number eight Robbie Diack broke through only to be denied by a superb try-saving tackle from Dane Haylett-Petty. But all their good work of the opening period was undone as they fell behind in the 44 minute. Yachvili was again in the thick of the action when he combined with Magnus Lund to send Ngwenya over for his opening try in the left corner.

Yachvili converted and added two penalties as Biarritz surged 16-3 ahead.

The hosts increased the tempo as front five forwards Carizza and Marconnet powered over either side of a neat score from Trimble for Ulster.

Wing sensation Ngwenya completed the perfect afternoon for the home side with the fourth try with three minutes remaining and Ferris’ try from a quick-tap proved to only be a consolation.

BIARRITZ: D Haylett-Petty, T Ngwenya, C Gimenez, M Bond, I Balshaw, J Peyrelongue, D Yachvili, E Coetzee, B August, C Johnstone, J Thion, M Carizza, M Lund, S Vahafolau, I Harinordoquy.

Replacements: R Terrain for August (65), S Marconnet for Johnstone (52), A Barozzi for Harinordoquy (68), B Guyot for Vahafolau (41), D Traille for Bond (52), A Mignardi for Gimenez (76) I Bolakoro for Halylett-Petty (68), Johnstone for Coetzee (69), F Faure for Carizza (65).

ULSTER: D McIlwaine, A Trimble, I Whitten, P Wallace, S Danielli, I Humphreys, R Pienaar; T Court, R Best, BJ Botha, J Muller, T Barker, P Wannenburg, S Ferris, R Diack.

Replacements: A D’Arcy for Danielli (25), N Spence for Humphreys (72), P McAllister for Botha (68), D Tuohy for Barker (52), C Henry for Diack (61), A Kyriacou for Henry (72).

Referee: Dave Pearson (RFU).