Perpignan rout Racing Metro
French champions Perpignan scored their first win of 2010 with a 31-12 bonus-point victory over Racing Metro.
Last Updated: 09/01/10 7:38pm
French champions Perpignan scored their first win of 2010 with a 31-12 bonus-point victory over Racing Metro.
The Catalans warmed their frigid season up with a five-try romp at Stade Aime Giral over their visitors from Paris.
The violently strong wind and sub-zero temperature did not make for ideal conditions, but it didn't stop Perpignan from dominating the encounter either.
The result sees the defending champions climb back up to provisional second in the standings and provides a welcome boost after four consecutive losses.
The howling wind played a significant role but the home side made better use of it, especially early on the in second half after trailing 9-5 at the break.
Suffering
Racing fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski opened the scoring with a penalty after just four minutes, but Perpignan scrum-half Nicolas Durand would score the game's fist try on the quarter-hour mark to hand the hosts the lead.
The visitors were suffering, especially at scrum time, but used the tail wind to move back ahead thanks to a drop and another penalty from Wisniewski.
But it would be a different story when the teams swapped ends. South African centre Gavin Hume and prop Benoit Bourrust scored within five minutes of each other to put Perpignan in control as Jerome Porical added the extras.
Lock Olivier Olibeau added a fourth try under the posts to grab an extra point after Hume broke clear against the run of play.
Racing centre Frans Steyn provided the main threat from the visitors, but on too many an occasion found himself isolated after breaking the Catalan line.
On one just occasion shortly before the full-time whistle, Perpignan countered too, as wing Farid Sid added the icing to the cake.
