THE faintest hopes that they might qualify for the quarterfinals of the Heineken Cup were dashed from Saracens’ lips at the Parc des Sports Aguilera on Saturday as Biarritz, strong and speedy, scored six tries to top pool four and erase memories of a feeble display at Watford last October.
From the moment that they lost Ben Skirving with a sore knee during the morning exercises to the departure of Thomas Castaignède with a pulled hamstring, Saracens were fighting a doomed cause.
“We did well to hold them in the first half but in the second half, when we had several youngsters on the pitch, Biarritz controlled the game,” Steve Diamond, the Saracens director of rugby, said.
David Seymour and Ben Russell worked hard to stem the tide and Saracens were, notionally, still in the game when they changed round at 19-13, but the French champions proved far too clinical.
SCORERS: Biarritz: Tries: Martin-Arramburu (13min), Gobelet (20), August (34), Brusque (43), Bidabe (63), Peyrelongue (80). Conversions: Yachvili 4, Dupuy. Penalty goal: Yachvili (51). Saracens: Try: Yates (22). Conversion: Jackson. Penalty goals: Jackson 2 (7, 36).
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SCORING SEQUENCE (Biarritz first): 0-3, 7-3, 12-3, 12-10, 19-10, 19-13 (half-time), 26-13, 29-13, 36-13, 43-13.
BIARRITZ: N Brusque; J-B Gobelet, P Bidabe, F Martin-Arramburu (rep: D Lison, 45), S Bobo (rep: B Dambielle, 76); J Peyrelongue, D Yachvili (rep: J Dupuy, 69); P Balan (rep: K Lealamanua, 58), B August (rep: B Noirot, 64), B Lecouls, J Thion (rep: O Olibeau, 41), D Couzinet, T Dusautoir, T Lièvremont (rep: S Betsen, 63), I Harinordoquy.
SARACENS: M Bartholomeusz; B Johnston (rep: M Cairns, 67), T Castaignède (rep: K Sorrell, 24), D Harris (rep: D Scarbrough, 53; sin-bin, 64-74), T Vaikona; G Jackson, M Rauluni (rep: A Dickens, 60); K Yates (rep: A Liffchak, 73), S Byrne (rep: A Kyriacou, 73), B Broster (rep: T Mercey, 73), S Raiwalui (sin-bin, 37-47), K Chesney, B Russell, D Seymour, H Vyvyan.
Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).
Attendance: 8,000.