BIARRITZ v MUNSTER:FOLLOWING THE loss of Damien Traille, and boosted by Paul O'Connell being declared unfit, Biarritz have been further buoyed by the news that Imanol Harinordoquy is expected to play in Sunday's Heineken Cup semi-final at Estadio Anoeta.
The inspirational Basque number eight, such a towering figure in France’s latest Grand Chelem, is Biarritz’s primary ball winner out of touch and ball carrier in open play. He underwent an operation on a broken nose last weekend which sidelined him from their defeat at home to Clermont, but is likely to play with a protective mask.
With French loosehead prop Fabien Barcella now back to full fitness, the team will probably fall along similar lines to the one which beat the Ospreys 29-28 at the same venue in the quarter-finals.
The one pressing dilemma facing coaches Jean-Michael Gonzalez and Jack Isaacs is what 10-12-13 permutation to opt for in the absence of Traille, who landed three drop goals in the quarter-final.
As with Toulouse’s choice at outhalf, so too the Biarritz selection is liable to give their Irish opponents a strong indication as to how they intend approaching the game. Les biarrots could retain Julien Peyrelongue at 10, and perm Karmichael Hunt with Arnaud Mignardi or the ex-Wasps centre Ayoola Erinle in midfield, or go with Hunt at outhalf and a Mignardi-Erinle combination outside him.
Hunt has adapted surprisingly well in his season in the south-west of France reconverting to a code he last played as a teenager – despite his poor understanding of the rules costing them a try and a defeat home to racing Metro during the season.
He has played occasionally at outhalf and has given another dimension to their running game, but at the expense of a kicking game. Hence, the likelihood must be that they will go with the safer option of Peyrelongue, all the more given they have lost Traille’s kicking game, with Hunt and Mignardi in midfield.
Biarritz are based for the week in one of the hotels owned by former legend and club president Serge Blanco, in the town of Hendaye and are training behind closed doors in neighbouring Urrugne, from where Gonzalez, their former prop and hooker, yesterday declined to talk of vengeance for the 2006 final defeat to Munster in Cardiff.
“I don’t want to talk about revenge. Biarritz will need to improve and to make a big step up from what we’ve done so far to win against Munster. Munster will offer the direct opposite from what the Ospreys offered. The Welsh team had a three-quarter line of a very high level with a lot of individual talent in each position, but their pack was not on a par with their three-quarter line.
“Munster will come with a pack of forwards which is truly impressive,” he added. “It is virtually the Irish pack but I don’t forget that they also have players in their backs who are world-class, players like Doug Howlett and Ronan O’Gara, who can make a difference at any time. But we have the chance to receive them in the Anoeta and the support of the public – as well as playing at home in terms of preparation – is an advantage.”
As with Toulouse, who also earned a home quarter-final, Biarritz have the additional incentive of the final being played in Paris but Isaacs, the Australian who played as a centre with Biarritz from 2000 to 2004, echoed the views of his head coach: “We are only 80 minutes from a final but in front of us is ‘un grand morceau” (something which is hard to swallow) and we will need to show another face from what we’ve shown against the Ospreys.”
Rugby fever has gripped the pretty little coastal resort, which is apparently festooned in the signature red and white Basque colours and bunting. The local Sud Ouest newspaper produced an eight-page supplement on the game yesterday and there will be scarcely concealed glee amongst their supporters that O’Connell is not playing.
However, their well-travelled 32-year-old French international lock Jerome Thion maintained he was not relieved. “Of course the fact that O’Connell is not there is a blow for Munster. He is the central point of their pack, the one who reads the opposition lineouts, the one who calls their own lineouts, but I’m sure the guy who will come in for him will be a good player.
“What is impressive about Munster is that they change their players very little from one year to another. They are really a complete team, better than five years ago when we first played them at Anoeta (19-10 win for Biarritz).
“But what I hope, even though we won that day, I remember is that we scored a try and then we had to defend for 60 minutes. I hope it will be different and that we will attack more, and offer more threat.”
BIARRITZ (Possible): I Balshaw; T Ngwenya, A Mignardi, K Hunt, I Bolakoro; J Peyrelongue, D Yachvili; F Barcella, B August, C Johnstone, J Thion capt, M Carizza, W Lauret, FFaure, I Harinordoquy.
