Biarritz await Munster or Leinster
Saturday, 22 April 2006 17:19Watch Leinster v Munster live on RTÉ TWO tomorrow from 2.00pm-5.15pm. Listen live on RTÉ Radio 1 FM and LW 252 from 2.00pm.
French champions Biarritz await either Munster or Leinster after reaching their third Heineken Cup final by sinking Bath 18-9 in a try less semi-final at the Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian.
Biarritz made it third time lucky after two successive failed semi-final attempts, subduing a battling Bath outfit through five Dimitri Yachvili penalties and a Damien Traille drop-goal.
French international star Yachvili produced a faultless goal-kicking display in difficult conditions.
Although Bath, bidding to reach a first Heineken Cup final since they were crowned European champions in 1998, gave it everything, they lacked the guile and poise to break down a supremely-organised Biarritz defence.
Fly-half Chris Malone kicked three penalties for the English challengers, but they had England lock Danny Grewcock sin-binned late in the second half after a mass brawl which also saw Biarritz prop Petru Balan yellow-carded.
The northern Spanish coast had been drenched by rain ever since Bath arrived on Thursday and there was no respite during the game, with a slippery pitch making life difficult for both teams.
But Biarritz, despite never hitting top gear, always looked the more dangerous team and they will now meet Munster or Leinster in next month's Millennium Stadium final.
Bath's exit also means that England will have six places in next season's Heineken Cup, with France taking seven courtesy of Biarritz reaching the final.
