After a great epic in Pro D2 which led them to the title of champion against Mont-de-Marsan, synonymous with a rise in the Top 14, the Bayonnais do not deserve for this return to the elite of the French oval.
Aviron Bayonnais arrives in Brive on Saturday (5 p.m.) with a lot of confidence for this clash between two competitors for maintenance.
To discover
Schedule and Top 14 results
Ranking Top 14
“Everyone is happy with the rise to the Top 14. But we will have to stay there
,” summed up President Tayeb shortly before the start of the season.
Aviron has the clear objective of remaining in the elite, while the club never stabilized in the Top 14 during its last comebacks in 2016 and 2019 (all clubs had automatically been maintained in 2020 following the interruption of the championship due to Covid).
Noticeable signatures
The summer was eventful on the side of Bayonne with a first major change.
Manager Yannick Bru, in conflict with management, left the edges of Nive with two Pro D2 champion titles in his pocket.
It is Grégory Patat who has the heavy task of taking over with the mission of taking advantage of a new performance center and a completely renovated Jean-Dauger stadium to bring new impetus to Aviron Bayonnais.
With a budget going from 14.5 to 21.5 million euros, Bayonne wanted to put the small dishes in the big ones during this summer window with several interesting arrivals, starting with an international hinge composed of Maxime Machenaud (Racing 92) and Camille Lopez (Clermont).
After signing a pre-contract at Biarritz Olympique, the latter finally changed his mind to put his luggage at the Basque neighbor.
Rowing has also taken on a Fijian accent with the signings of Riko Buliruarua and Kaminieli Rasaku joining compatriot Sireli Maqala.
Note that the former Rochelais Facundo Bosch, Manuel Leindekar and Quentin Béthune have also joined the Basque Country.
A total of eleven arrivals which give the manager Patat the weapons to fulfill the objectives.
Camille Lopez, flagship recruit of the Bayonne summer.
GAIZKA IROZ / AFP
First reference matches
The season started under the best auspices on the side of Bayonne with two victories in four games.
After a false start against Toulon (40-25), Ciel et Blanc pocketed an impressive success against Racing 92 (31-25).
Yet led by ten points at the break, the players of Grégory Patat subsequently inflicted on the Racingmen a 23-0 in 25 minutes in a stadium in turmoil which was celebrating the reopening of a stand.
A week later, Rowing moved to Jean-Bouin to face Stade Français.
If the Basques ended up losing this meeting (26-16), they still offered a great adversity to the Ile-de-France, leading by four points at halftime.
The Parisian club had to wait until the last quarter of an hour to tip the match in its favor.
Because Rowing version 2022 is also that: honors, values and lessons learned even in defeat.
“Here, we have only one pressure, it is that the players do not respond present, in terms of the state of mind and the intensity of the fight. It's the only duty I ask of them: to wet the jersey 200% to be in line with the environment. The result is favorable on the first two home matches, I would have liked it to be also at the Stade Français, ”
said the manager of Bayonne last week.
Last weekend, during the 4th day, Bayonne put the cover back by achieving another feat, this time against Bordeaux-Bègles (20-15) in an enclosure of Jean-Dauger still as noisy and passionate.
In just five minutes of play, straddling the two periods, Aviron scored two tries.
As against Racing, the Ciel et Blancs drew their strength from a solid and compact scrum.
A new success which allows Bayonne to point to 8th position in the classification, enlisting a new unofficial status of team trap to avoid, moreover at home where
“the Peña Baiona proudly wears its blue and white scarves everywhere”.