Top 14: Dimitri Yachvili kicks 17 points as Biarritz ease past Grenoble
Biarritz claimed a scrappy 33-16 victory over Grenoble at Parc des Sports d'Aguilera on Friday night.
Last Updated: 30/03/13 7:58am
With only three rounds of the French competition remaining, the win appears unlikely to lift Biarritz into the race for the play-off spots with a seventh-placed finish seemingly now the extent of their ambitions.
But on a wet and miserable night, they adapted to the conditions much better than their visitors, with second-half tries from Takudzwa Ngwenya and Erik Lund seeing them home.
Dimitri Yachvili was exceptional off the tee in difficult conditions and put Biarritz into a 6-0 lead with 17 minutes played before Grenoble hit back with a penalty try.
That score came after their scrum got the better of the home side five metres out, according to referee Salem Attalah. James Hart added the extras to push his side ahead.
In truth that was a one-off as the Biarritz scrum then dominated for the rest of the game, their pack helping Yachvili and Benoit Baby make it 12-7 as half-time approached. However, Hart slotted three more to make it 12-10 at the break.
Hart pushed his side in front three minutes after the interval, but when Shaun Sowerby was penalised for a high tackle on Julian Thomas, Yachvili set about kicking nine straight points, as Grenoble struggled with replacement Aaron Bancroft having been sent to the sin-bin.
Grenoble did cut the lead to 21-16 on the hour, but that was before the hosts put the game to bed courtesy of a fine finish from Ngwenya after a nice inside ball from Baby.
Lock forward Lund was then set up by some classy skills from star performer Yachvili to put a real gloss on the final scoreline.
