Bayonne edge one-point thriller

MATCH REPORT: Joris Segonds kicked a penalty in the 76th minute as Bayonnais edged Scarlets by one point in a Challenge Cup thriller at Stade Jean Dauger on Saturday.

This brings Bayonne to joint leaders at the top of the Pool going into their game next week against Black Lion.

Despite conceding an early penalty, Aviron Bayonnais swiftly turned things around, with tries from Rodrigo Bruni and Camille Lopez.

The latter was also faultless from the conversion spot.

A late try from Shaun Evans meant that Scarlets were right in it at the break, with the score poised at 14-13.

Following penalties for both sides in the second period, it was a tight affair with the hosts just taking it by 17-16.

The scorers

For Aviron Bayonnais
Tries: Bruni, Lopez
Cons: Lopez 2
Pen: Segonds

For Scarlets
Try: Evans
Con: Lloyd
Pens: Lloyd 3

Teams

Aviron Bayonnais: 15 Cheikh Tiberghien, 14 Nadir Megdoud, 13 Guillaume Martocq, 12 Manu Tuilagi, 11 Mateo Carreras, 10 Camille Lopez (captain), 9 Guillaume Rouet, 8 Uzair Cassiem, 7 Baptiste Heguy, 6 Rodrigo Bruni, 5 Veikoso Poloniati, 4 Denis Marchois, 3 Pieter Scholtz, 2 Lucas Martin, 1 Martin Villar.
Replacements: 16 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 17 Andy Bordelai, 18 Pascal Cotet, 19 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 20 Giovanni Habel-Kuffner, 21 Baptiste Germain, 22 Joris Segonds, 23 Tom Spring.

Scarlets: 15 Ioan Nicholas, 14 Tom Rogers, 13 Joe Roberts, 12 Eddie James, 11 Ellis Mee, 10 Ioan Lloyd, 9 Efan Jones, 8 Vaea Fifita, 7 Dan Davis, 6 Jarrod Taylor, 5 Jac Price, 4 Alex Craig (captain), 3 Sam Wainwright, 2 Shaun Evans, 1 Kemsley Mathias.
Replacements: 16 Isaac Young, 17 Sam O’Connor, 18 Archer Holz, 19 Sam Lousi, 20 Max Douglas, 21 Archie Hughes, 22 Charlie Titcombe, 23 Macs Page.

Referee: Gianlucha Gnecchi
Assistant referees: Franco Rosella, Alex Frasson
TMO: Stefano Roscini