Biggar puts boot in as impressive Saints make Lyon suffer
If there were any lingering doubts as to how Northampton’s returning World Cup contingent would fare back at the coalface, then they were rapidly dispelled as Wales fly-half Dan Biggar scored 20 points to send Top 14 leaders Lyon back to France empty-handed.
In typical pragmatic fashion, Biggar was quick to highlight the ease with which Northampton’s returning internationals slotted back into action in yesterday’s European Champions Cup clash.
“It’s been easy coming back in here. The coaches, management and players have made it so easy,” Biggar said.
“I was a little bit rusty when I came back on Monday and Tuesday, in terms of the calling system and getting back into our shape and different things – I needed a few days to get some rust out. But coming into a winning and positive environment helps; it means you can just roll into the good work that the boys have been doing. Chris Boyd has been nothing short of brilliant in terms of how he’s managed us. But for me, it’s just easier to get straight back in here. At the end of the day, this is your job.”
Biggar’s compliment to Boyd was returned in kind, with the Northampton director of rugby heaping praise on his World Cup stars, especially Biggar. “What Dan Biggar is good at, he’s close to the best in the world,” Boyd said, before adding that the performances of Courtney Lawes, Biggar and Cobus Reinach, among others, were “probably the most pleasing thing” about the victory.
Lyon had the worst discipline of any side in the Champions Cup last season and, on this evidence, nothing has changed.
They conceded eight penalties in the first half, giving Biggar two simple opportunities to put Northampton into a 6-0 lead.
At that point, it already seemed as though Lyon were going to have to wait at least a week longer to register their first-ever Champions Cup win, at the seventh attempt.
However, when Rory Hutchinson wove and glided elegantly past the Lyon defence, following a delicious tip-on from Biggar and a meaty carry from Tom Wood, it was as near as certain.
Biggar converted and would extend Northampton’s lead heading into half-time. Lyon No 8 Carl Fearns was trapped at the base of a scrum by a scurrying Reinach, with Lewis Ludlam on hand to win a holding-on penalty for Saints, and Biggar made no mistake.
Northampton had cruised to a 19-0 half-time lead and Lyon, with Lawes and David Ribbans clearing up their line-out, were reeling. Their first-half showing was summed up in one moment.
Charlie Ngatai intercepted a Hutchinson pass, streaking away and flooring the Scotland centre with a hand-off.
He passed to Josua Tuisova and when the Fiji wing offloaded to Loann Goujon, it seemed to score was easier than not to. Hutchinson, however, had got back to intercept the pass from Tuisova’s blind spot and the try went begging.
Nothing much changed after the break, Raphael Chaume immediately falling foul of the referee to allow Biggar to extend Saints’ lead to 22-0. To compound Lyon’s misery, fly-half Pato Fernandez subsequently kicked his second restart of the afternoon out on the full.
Lyon did manage two scores, however, as the game became dogged by set-pieces.
After Teimana Harrison was sent to the sin-bin for repeated infringements in the red zone – a card which arguably came two or three infringements too late – Lyon were able to fire a shot.
Replacement fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski’s fleetness of thought followed a quick tapped penalty, and replacement Thibaud Regard got on the end of a pinpoint crossfield kick to score in the corner.
Lyon continued to battle admirably but, in truth, there was never any danger of them upsetting the course of the match; after taking such a first-half pounding they were always playing for a losing bonus point.
They gave themselves a chance, though, with scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud breaking blind from a five-metre scrum to feed Regard for his second.
Wisniewski’s curling conversion brought them back to 25-14.
But it was too little, too late for Lyon. The damage had been done in the first half and the Saints marched on.