European Cup Pool One: By beating Wasps home and away in two epic games last month Leicester must have imagined they had negotiated the hard part of their European equation. If so the Tigers were hugely mistaken and yesterday's sobering reverse at home to Biarritz has left them reliant on Wasps doing them another big favour in south-west France this Saturday.
As usual, the calculations would test the mental agility of Carol Vorderman but the bottom line is that Leicester's fate is now in the hands of others. Even if they beat Calvisano and collect a try bonus point, they will still be scuppered should Biarritz avoid defeat or Wasps score a bonus-point victory of their own. A Wasps win with neither side securing an extra bonus point, however, would still permit the Tigers to sneak through as pool winners.
It even remains a possibility that England will not have a single representative of any description in the last eight. Bath and Harlequins are already gone and Gloucester need to thrash Stade Francais on Sunday to avoid joining them. If Biarritz stay cool at home that would account for Wasps and Leicester while Newcastle and Northampton both have to win their final pool games.
In many ways Biarritz did a passable imitation of the Tigers, surging into an early lead with some irresistible power rugby which put them 18-0 ahead inside 25 minutes and virtually out of sight before turning to a sandbag defence to hold their advantage.
The Leicester coach John Wells felt afterwards the victors had "only played 20 minutes of decent rugby against us in both games" but did finally concede that Biarritz had deserved their stunning success. The fact remains, though, that the Frenchmen have now overcome England's leading club at home and away and had Harry Ellis not wriggled over for a try in the third minute of injury-time the Tigers would be out already.
It may even be that Biarritz's first quarter display was among the most faultless the tournament has seen this season. A mere four minutes and 15 seconds had elapsed when the lock Jerome Thion was driven over from a lineout and, when Martin Johnson was penalised for pulling down a maul, Dimitri Yachvili chipped over a penalty.
More heavy pressure imposed by the strong French pack set up outhalf Damien Traille for a drop-goal and the ground had already gone deathly quiet when Olivier Olibeau's flick pass in midfield created another try-scoring opening for Jimmy Marlu.
If Biarritz have a weakness, though, it is a tendency to flex their muscle in fits and starts and in the second-half Serge Betsen and company had to dig deep into their defensive repertoire.
While Leicester's frustration spilled over unacceptably in the case of Ellis, sin-binned for an elbow on Yachvili after an earlier off-the-ball forearm smash on Thibault Lacroix, they belatedly mounted a string of stirring attacks and Ollie Smith, Goode and Alex Tuilagi were all denied only by last-ditch tackles.
With five minutes of normal time remaining Tuilagi did breach the cover in the left corner, paving the way for Ellis's relieving score. If the Tigers do somehow make the quarter-finals, their spiky little scrum-half will be forgiven all his occasional petulance.
"In the first 20 minutes they just killed us," acknowledged Wells. "They stopped us playing the type of game everyone knows we can play." If they do the same to the defending champions Wasps, Biarritz may just fancy they can go all the way themselves.
LEICESTER: Murphy; Smith, Lloyd, Gibson, Healey (A Tuilagi, 67); Goode, Ellis; Morris (Rowntree, 51), Chuter (Buckland, 76), White, M Johnson (capt), L Deacon, Moody, Back, W Johnson (Kay, 67). Tries: Tuilagi, Ellis. Cons: Goode 2. Pen: Goode. Sin-bin: Ellis 52.
BIARRITZ: Brusque; Bidabe, Aramburu, Lacroix, Marlu; Traille, Yachvili; Balan (Lealamanua, 52), August (Gonzalez, 62), Avril (Lecouls, 52), Thion, Olibeau (Couzinet, 46), Betsen, Harinordoquy, Lievremont (capt; Milheres 79). Tries: Thion, Marlu. Con: Yachvili. Pens: Yachvili 2. Drop-goal: Yachvili.
Referee: A Lewis (Ireland).
Guardian Service
