and players like Foketi and Ugalde out-of-position

connachta wrote: Pour le match à Galway face au Connacht, samedi à 17 heures, Patricio Noriega et Nicolas Morlaes font tourner l'effectif (i;e rotation of the team) de l'Aviron Bayonnais.

Ainsi, pour cette troisième journée de Challenge européen, voici le XV qui débutera du côté des Basques :

Bustos Moyano - Elissalde, Foketi, Vaka, Sayerse - (o) Ugalde, (m) Duhalde - Ancely, Chouzenoux, Visensang - Fa'aoso, Senekal (cap) - Lapeyrade, Labouyrie, Pointud

In summary: 13 changes from last weeks relegation 8-pointer, and a third choice front row.

Pour le match à Galway face au Connacht, samedi à 17 heures, Patricio Noriega et Nicolas Morlaes font tourner l'effectif (i;e rotation of the team) de l'Aviron Bayonnais.

Ainsi, pour cette troisième journée de Challenge européen, voici le XV qui débutera du côté des Basques :

Bustos Moyano - Elissalde, Foketi, Vaka, Sayerse - (o) Ugalde, (m) Duhalde - Ancely, Chouzenoux, Visensang - Fa'aoso, Senekal (cap) - Lapeyrade, Labouyrie, Pointud

Borders no.2 wrote: Interesting result yesterday from the Top 14, a 19-19 draw between La Rochelle and Bayonne. The result leaves Bayonne in 10th but just 2 points ahead of La Rochelle in 13th with Castres amazingly bottom of the table at this stage.

On Thursday La Rochelle are at home to Exeter in our group, my only real hope for that game is that Exeter don't pick up the 5 points.

Next Saturday I can't see Bayonne being too bothered. I'd make a few changes but I'm probably alone in this but I want to see us giving it our all in these 2 games, clock up 9 points hopefully! and give ourselves a chance of winning the group or at least qualifying as one of the best 2nd place teams.

Little add on to this. Was on the Bayonne site and noticed in their Gazette page (week round-up):

Blair Stewart, came in the 26th minute of the match against La Rochelle suffered a fractured fibula. He spent additional tests on Monday and will undergo surgery. Flyhalf will be unavailable for a period of at least 3 months and will be operated in the week.
www.abrugby.fr/article/01/12/2014/la-gaz...acite-bayonnaise-302

Can't imagine that that wouldn't do anything but re-affirm their intention to play a second/third string in Galway, especially given the compression in the Top 14 table with two wins being enough potential to move the bottom placed side into the top six..




But have to say I'm not a fan of the general vibe I'm seeing on-line from here and the media, the tone is very much that this is already in the bag and Bayonne will roll-over and have their bellies tickled from the kick-off. Whatever side we put out has to be uber-professional from kick-off and really put it to the Basques hard, if we somehow lose on Saturday we're going no further in this competition and may as well just send the U-20's on a jolly to the Sud Ouest to get a bit of surfing in next week.. They'll be very game for the first twenty minutes or so, they'll know what happened against La Rochelle but there'll be guys looking to compete for slots for future Top14 games.

We need to play pressure rugby, make them defend right from the off and attack their set pieces. Despite the fact their coach is the old Puma/Aussie front row warhorse Patricio Noriega, they will have a scratch pack out so the line out and scrums have to be targeted. If we get dominance there, everything else should fall into place. Every three point chance has to be taken for the first 30 minutes; the result has to be decided that early. If they feel taht the game is gone they will cave, but we HAVE TO earn it first the hard way....

The real question is what is real position compared to Adeolakun and Layden. Is he n°3? I think he might still be..

Maybe I'm feeling a little bit maudlin, but I can't help but feel a little bit upset that I'm in agreement when it comes to thinking that selecting Carr is a good thing when it comes to protecting our starters. Our all time try scorer and we only call him up for the games we're not that fussed about. He deserves better, but I can't see a situation where we'd be clamouring for him in a do-or-die pro12 game

Say this and propose this team elsewhere, and you'll be lynched. :woohoo: :lol: I have been for more moderate talk than this :whistle:

I'm surprised anyone is taking this competition seriously, use it to blood younger players and get senior players fit. Bayonne will be trawling their local parks to fill their 15 so no point us putting too many first teamers out to get injured. I'd go with something like:

Loughney
Heffernan
Bealham
Swift
Qualter
Brown
Fafita if he's fit-ish Falloon if not
Masterson

Cooney
Nikora
Carr
Ronaldson
O'Leary
Leader (for fitness)
Layden

30 mins off the bench for Muldowney to keep him ticking over for Swift.
Then a bit of experience on the bench so they're there if needed.
Treat this competition as secondary- if we're still in with a shout at the business end we can re-evaluate then but it's not worth a single league point to us and we'll regret it if it costs us a single point in the league

Connacht v Bayonne – Galway Sportsgrounds European Rugby Challenge Cup Pool 2 Round 3
Saturday 6th December 2014 Kick Off 17:00

After back to back Pro 12 victories leaving Connacht in a healthy 6th place after 9 rounds, Connacht resume their Challenge Cup campaign against Bayonne on Saturday at the Sportsgrounds. Both sides have one win and one loss to date in the competition. Connacht will be keen to preserve their unbeaten home record for this season while Bayonne may travel somewhat weakened with relegation concerns domestically occupying them at present.

Other Match Stats
Connacht beat Bayonne in their last two meetings in the 2010/2011 Challenge Cup.
Bayonne have lost 4 and drawn 1 of their French Top 14 games this season
Bayonne's draw at La Rochelle halted a run of 6 straight away losses, however, Bayonne have yet to win away from home this season.

Bayonne Stats
Website: www.abrugby.fr/
Founded: 1904
Ground: Stade Jean Dauger
Capacity: 16,934
Coaches: Patricio Noriega, Nicolas Morlaes
Captain: Mark Chisholm

Top 14 Position 2013/14: 10th P:26 Points:54
Top 14 Position 2014/15: 10th P:12 Points:23
Challenge Cup 2013/14: 2nd in Pool 4 Points: 15

Previous Fixtures
La Rochelle 19-19 Bayonne (Top 14 Round 12)
Racing Metro 27-10 Bayonne (Top 14 Round 11)
Bayonne 24-13 Clermont (Top 14 Round 10)
La Rochelle 27-13 Bayonne (Challenge Cup Round 2)
Bayonne 30-24 Exeter (Challenge Cup Round 1)

Next League Fixture:
Saturday 20th December 2014 Bayonne v Bordeaux-Begles @ Stade Jean Dauger @ 18.30 (local time)

European Rugby Challenge Cup (Pool 2)
Exeter 6
Connacht 5
La Rochelle 4
Bayonne 4

Bayonne Ins and Outs 2014/15
Players In
Blair Stewart from Grenoble
Giogi Jgenti from Perpignan
Lukas Pointud from Tarbes
Thibault Visensang from Albi
Lalakai Foketi from Melbourne Rebels

Players Out
Guillaume Bernad to Oyonnax
Julien Puricelli to Lyon
Neemia Tialata to Toulouse
Stephen Brett to Lyon
Mathieu Bélie to Perpignan
Victor Manukula to Béziers
Pierre-Philippe Lafond to Montauban
Abdellatif Boutaty to Pau
Sam Gerber retired

Previous Meetings
15th January 2011 European Challenge Cup Pool 1
Bayonne 21-35 Connacht
www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/amlin-challenge/2...85-bayonne_connacht/

15th October 2010 European Challenge Cup Pool 1
Connacht 16-13 Bayonne
www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/amlin-challenge/2...30-connacht_bayonne/

salmson wrote: Exeter have changed 10 and La Rochelle 11 from last week's league matches. Can only imagine how weak Bayonne's XV will be.

Think these number of changes show what a farce this competition is and I'm sure Pat would be making a similar number if he had the luxury but injuries probably will limit the changes he can make. I don't think he's taking the competition anymore seriously now, he will continue to take a pragmatic approach to it. If they come through the home and away with Bayonne with 2 wins and the team is in relatively good health after the interpros & Edinburgh game then I'm sure he will give it a good lash against Exeter when they come to the Sportsground in January.

Exeter have changed 10 and La Rochelle 11 from last week's league matches. Can only imagine how weak Bayonne's XV will be.

The only remaining matches in the Challenge Cup we should be putting out a Full-strength team for is Exeter, I notice they have to play a premiership match on the the Sunday before they meet us whereas our match is on the Friday against Edinburgh and we're at home, so it's a nice long turn around for us with no travel involved

Not impossible, but Cardiff Exeter Gloucester and probably Edinburgh (nothing else to hope for this season) will be hard task. It's a pity that the two favourite in my opinion, Connacht and Exeter, are in the same pool

Of course he is. We're trying to win the thing!!

swift4prez wrote:

salmson wrote: Neither McCartney nor Aki are registered for Europe. If we register both of them that's our permitted changes for the group stages done, so it may be either or both of them are left out Saturday. Does anyone know whether Delahunt is fit? If not Heffernan is the only registered hooker and McCartney will have to be added to the squad.

Edit: Delahunt played a part in all three Buccs games in November.

Bundee in replace toh
McCartney in for jhw

Really? Lam is taking this competition more seriously than it seemed at 1st sight....

salmson wrote: Neither McCartney nor Aki are registered for Europe. If we register both of them that's our permitted changes for the group stages done, so it may be either or both of them are left out Saturday. Does anyone know whether Delahunt is fit? If not Heffernan is the only registered hooker and McCartney will have to be added to the squad.

Edit: Delahunt played a part in all three Buccs games in November.

Bundee in replace toh
McCartney in for jhw