By Jason Harris
November 27 2006

Narbonne continued their Top 14 campaign on Saturday night with a trip to reigning French Champions and 2006 Heineken Cup runners-up Biarritz Olympique hoping they could emulate their Round 2 triumph over the Basque side at Parc des Sports et de l'Amitié. RCNM kept their hopes alive by taking the lead on seven minutes with a try from Tongan back row forward and former New South Wales Waratahs flanker Lei Tomiki after scrum half Julien Dupuy had put the home side ahead with a second minute penalty.

The rest of the first half was close, with Biarritz restoring their lead on 26 minutes with a try from lock David Couzinet, converted by Dupuy and a second touchdown from fly half Julien Peyrelongue on 37 minutes.

With the half time score reading Biarritz 15, Narbonne 7, the visitors were sill in it but, as they did against Saracens in the Heineken Cup last season, a second half Biarritz blitz blew the visitors away.

Three tries in the space of six minutes just after the break secured the bonus point for BOPB. First centre Romain Cabannes crossed on 45 minutes; then fullback Nicolas Brusque on 49 and other centre Phiippe Bidabé just two minutes later.

With Dupuy converting the Cabannes and Brusque efforts and preceding all the action with a penalty three minutes into the second period, Biarritz were home and hosed at 37-7. However, there was still time for Argentinian fly half Marcelo Bosch to add one more try with 13 minutes left to make it a round half dozen, scored by half a dozen differnt players, just like the game against Sarries.

Tomiki scored a consolation try for Narbonne in the final minute and that, like his first half effort, was converted by fly half Cedric Rosalen to make the final score Biarritz 42, Narbonne 14.

Narbonne are now one of six clubs in the relegation mix as they lie in ninth place on 29 points from their 15 games played so far. Bottom club Bayonne are now just four points behind after they pinched a priceless 18-17 win away at Montauban.

Round 16 sees Perpignan make the short trip to Narbonne after they were buoyed by a very good home victory over second-placed ASM Clermont-Auveruge, 32-15. The match played at Stade Aime Giral in Round 3 ended in a 46-3 drubbing for Narbonne and given the wins for Bayonne and Brive (28-3 over Bourgoin) the breathing space created in the past couple of weeks has now been taken away.

GrAN Parma were back in Groupama Super 10 action on Sunday against L'Aquila at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi and cruised to an easy 40-15 bonus point win. GrAN's try scorers were cenre Alessio Galente, wings Jason Tiatia and Massimo Ravazzolo, and fullback Rima Wakarua who converted all four and added four penalty goals for a personal points tally of 25.

Parma bragging rights are maintained in the Super 10 by GrAN who are in fifth place on 18 points from their seven games, while local rivals Overmach failed to complete their game at Carrera Petrarca Padova which was abandoned early in the second half due to fog.

In their final Super 10 game before their back-to-back games against Sarries, GrAN have a tough assignment away at second-placed Benetton Treviso.