Dimitri Yachvili led Biarritz to the Heineken Cup final meeting with either Leinster or Munster with a 18-9 win over Bath thanks to a flawless kicking display at the San Sebastian Anoeta stadium.

France's scrumhalf contributed five penalties to the French champions' win, living up to the nickname of 'England's scourge' he acquired when he scored 19, 18 and 16 points in France's last three wins over the country in the Six Nations.

Centre Damien Traille added a drop goal while Bath could only reply with three penalties by their flyhalf Chris Malone.

The try-less match between the 1998 European champions and Biarritz, who lost in the semi-finals in 2004 and 2005 to French rivals Toulouse and Stade Francais, was tense from the kickoff as heavy rain made the ball slippery.

It turned into a goalkicking duel between Yachvili and Malone.

The Biarritz scrumhalf landed his first penalty after only four minutes and enabled his team to reach halftime with a 9-6 lead.  He scored his fourth penalty two minutes into the second half and Traille opened a nine-point gap four minutes later.

Biarritz tried to move the ball wide but every time they managed to get it out to their powerful Fijian wing Sireli Bobo he was stopped by the staunch Bath defence.

Both sides kept hammering away at each other and such was their determination a scrum turned into a brawl. Referee Alain Rolland sin-binned Biarritz prop Petru Balan and Bath lock Danny Grewcock with less than 20 minutes to play.

Malone brought back Bath within range of a converted try but Yachvili sealed his team's victory with his fifth penalty two minutes from time.

The other semi-final will be an all-Irish affair between Leinster and Munster at Lansdowne Road tomorrow. The final will be played at the Millennium Stadium on May 20th.