Top 14 Preview: Bayonne

The History

Aviron Bayonnais was founded in 1904, the result of a falling out between members of La Société Nautique rowing club. They won their first French championship in 1913, led by Welsh outhalf Harry Owen Roe. A Part Talbot man by birth, the Penarth RFC outhalf befriended Jules Forgues, a founding member of Bayonne who spent a season with Penarth. Roe was convinced to move to France as player/coach, where he introduced a style of total rugby that thrilled the French, and led to Bayonne’s first title.

World War 1 took the lives of five of that league-winning side, and it was 1934 before Bayonne would win another trophy. With Roe still involved in a coaching capacity and inspired by 22-year-old wing Maurice Celhay, l’Aviron beat their fierce rivals Biarritz 13-8. There was more glory in 1936 as the club won its first Challenge Yves du Manoir. Seven years later, Bayonne were champions of France again after beating Agen 3-0. In that 1943 side, Celhay was once again inspirational, while the classy centre Jean Dauger was equally as vital.

Bayonne reached the final in 1944 again, but were well beaten by Perpignan. A barren period followed until 1980, when another Challenge Yves du Manoir trophy was claimed. In ’82, Bayonne reached the final of the French championship but Agen got some long-awaited revenge with an 18-9 victory. L’Aviron have had no successes or finals since.

The Setting

The Fêtes de Bayonne took place last month, and is a special time to visit the city. (c) Eoze04.

Bayonne sits on the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers in southwestern France, just a few short kilometres from Biarritz and also part of the Basque Country. The town has a population in the region of 46,000. The club’s home ground is the Stade Jean-Dauger, named after Bayonne’s legendary centre who was part of the 1943 league-winning team. The stadium’s address is 1 Rue Harry Owen Roe. There’s a lot of history tied up in the 17,000-capacity stade and the derbies against Biarritz are a French rugby institution.

Last Season

With a new coaching duo of Christian Lanta and Christophe Deylaud in control, Bayonne’s season got off to a very poor start. Five of the first six league games were lost and it looked like les Bayonnais were heading for a season in the relegation zone. But gradually, Lanta and Deylaud’s ideas took hold and Bayonne improved to end the Top 14 season in eighth position. Indeed, l’Aviron finished the season with five wins in six games, including a memorable victory over Toulon.

Tries were something of a rarity for the Basque side during the 2012/13 campaign; only relegated Mont de Marsan scored fewer than Bayonne’s 32. The attacking side of the game was certainly where they struggled, with a total 467 points only better than Mont de Marsan and Agen (also relegated). For Lanta and Deylaud it was a season focused on building defensive systems and set-piece foundations. Now they must add an attacking edge.

Ambitions

Stade Jean-Dauger. (c) Aviron Bayonnais.

Despite finishing eighth, Bayonne were just four points away from H Cup qualification last season, and they want to go a step further this time around. But as Lanta explains, a top six finish is more of a hope than an objective for les Bayonnais: “We know that there are a few untouchables at the top of the table and it will be complicated to make our way into the top six. But we’re heading towards a more wary Top 14 than last season. And if teams are more careful, there might be surprises. Who would have thought that Castres would be champions?”

The Coach(es)

Unlike most coaching duos, there is an age gap of 13 years between Lanta (61) and Deylaud (48). As a former back row for Agen, Lanta takes control of the forwards. Deylaud was an international halfback who played for Toulouse, Toulon and Agen. He scored the first-ever five point try in 1992, and also played a major part in The Try From The End of the World in ’94. Lanta’s coaching career began at Racing Metro, with whom he won the French championship in 1990. At Treviso, he won Italian league titles in ’97 and ’98.

Deylaud’s coaching career started at Agen in 2000 when he was appointed as Lanta’s backs coach. After numerous narrow misses, the pairing finally enjoyed success in 2010, when Agen were promoted as champions of the Pro D2. Two solid 10th-place finishes followed in the Top 14 before Bayonne president Alain Afflelou came calling last season. While Lanta and Deylaud furthered their reputation with l’Aviron, Agen were relegated without them.

Transfer Activity

After the flashy recruitment of the likes of Mike Phillips, Joe Rokocoko and Neemia Tialata in 2011, last season saw a change of approach from Afflelou, with less focus on star names. This summer, outhalf Stephen Brett (27) is the key signing. The Kiwi has spent the last two years playing in Japan after spells with the Crusaders and the Blues in Super Rugby. Brett is an excellent attacking pivot and his vision, distribution and creativity should allow Bayonne to score more tries.

With Agen relegated, Lanta and Deylaud have taken advantage of their history at the club to sign five of their players. Opeti Fonua (27) made himself a YouTube sensation with his bulldozing of Jonny Wilkinson last season, and his 135kg+ frame offers extreme power. Fellow Tongan international Lisiate Fa’aoso (30) joins in the second-row, while Frenchman Jean Monribot (25) is a hard-working presence at blindside. South African tighthead prop Gert Muller (28) played Super Rugby with the Lions, while Fijian Saïmoni Vaka (26) adds flair out wide.

After a frustrating season of limited game time, Argentinian wing Martín Bustos Moyano has joined from Montpellier. The 27-year-old’s excellent place-kicking could take pressure off Brett in that area. Halfback Mathieu Bélie (25) is another who can perform that role, after joining from Racing Metro. Finally, South African loosehead prop JC Janse van Rensburg (27) adds depth to the front row.

Key Players

Rokocoko has been repositioned in the centre. (c) Luton Anderson.

Mark Chisholm is Bayonne’s captain and his importance is underlined by the fact that he racked up the most minutes played of anyone in the Top 14 last season. With 58 caps for the Wallabies, the 31-year-old’s experience is key. Scott Spedding (27) was les Bayonnais’ best player over the course of the 2012/13 campaign. The former Lions and Sharks fullback is defensively solid and excellent on counter-attack. Going into his second year at the club, he is already a leader.

Tighthead prop Neemia Tialata began to look like a former All Black as he got to grips with the demands of the Top 14 last season. Still only 31, his power up front is crucial. Compatriot Joe Rokocoko (30) also took his time adapting to the French league but repositioned in the centre, the man who scored 47 tries for the All Blacks showed clear signs of rejuvenation in 2013. At hooker, David Roumieu (31) is a reliable thrower, powerful in the scrum and has a high work-rate.

Irish Connection

Mike Phillips is a man who has broken Irish hearts, but he was involved in the British and Irish Lions victory this summer so he has been on our side too. Heading into his third season with Bayonne, the 30-year-old still hasn’t shown his best form in France. While he cannot be absolved of all blame, Phillips is at his best behind a dominant pack and he just hasn’t had that at Bayonne.

With huge expectations remaining unfulfilled, Bayonne fans are hoping to see the real Mike Phillips. Perhaps a better collective effort from les Bayonnais will encourage him towards peak fitness, and the powerful game that brings from Welsh international.

Possible Starting XV

15. Spedding, 14. Vaka, 13. Rokocoko, 12. Lovobalavu, 11. O’Connor/Bustos Moyano, 10. Brett, 9. Phillips, 8. Fonua, 7. Puricelli, 6. Monribot/Bernard, 5. Chisholm, 4. Fa’aoso, 3. Tialata, 2. Roumieu, 1. Iguiniz/Van Rensburg

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Photos: Luton Anderson, Eoze04, Bayonne.

Top 14 Preview: Biarritz

The History

Biarritz Olympique Pays Basque dates back to 1902, when the Biarritz Stade athletics club first created a rugby section. In 1909, Biarritz Sporting Club was born in the town, before the two outfits merged in 1913. BO’s first French title came in 1935, when a team captained by Henri Haget beat USAP 3-0. Legendary outhalf Haget helped Biarritz to another championship win over Perpignan in 1939, but BO failed to claim another trophy for the next 60 years.

The club enjoyed a competitive spell in the late ’80s powered by fullback Serge Blanco and lock Jean Condom, but it was not until the 2000s that BO were back amongst the silverware. In 2002, when Dimitri Yachvili first broke through, the club were crowned champions of France. Bankrolled by Serge Kampf, Biarritz recruited the likes of Imanol Harinordoquy and Damien Traille in ’04, with further French titles secured in ’05 and ’06.

Biarritz suffered Heineken Cup final losses in both 2006 and 2010, but were true giants of French rugby for the decade. The club’s most recent trophy came in 2012, then they beat Toulon in the Challenge Cup final. Unfortunately for the Basques, times are changing.

The Setting

BO’s fans have an excellent and well-deserved reputation as amongst the best in the league. © bernardphoto.

Biarritz is located in the Pays Basque, on the Atlantic coast of southwestern France, just 17 kilometres from the Spanish border. Eight kilometres away is Bayonne; the rivalry between the towns is fierce. Parc des Sports Aguiléra is BO’s home ground, with a capacity of 15,000. For some big games, Biarritz relocate to the 32,000-seater Estadio Anoeta in San Sebastian, Spain. Club president Serge Blanco hopes plans to modernise and enlarge the Aguiléra to 18,000 seats will be confirmed before the end of the year.

Last Season

Biarritz made a superb start to last season, winning their first four league matches before a shocking turn in form saw them lose six in a row. After defeat to Connacht in December, Blanco sacked coaching duo Serge Milhas and Jack Isaac. BO’s Sporting Director, ex-France No. 8 Laurent Rodriguez, assumed the position of forwards coach, with Didier Faugeron drafted in as backs coach. Under the new coaching team, Biarritz’s performances improved and they finished the season in ninth.

The Heineken Cup was a disappointment for BO, with just three wins in a group containing Zebre and Connacht. After dropping into the Challenge Cup and briefly flourishing against Gloucester, Biarritz’s thrashing at the hands of Leinster showed how far they have fallen. This season will be the first time since ’99/00 that Biarritz haven’t been in the Heineken Cup. The simple truth is that BO can no longer compete financially with the likes of Clermont, Toulouse and Racing.

Ambitions

BO are aiming for the top six and H Cup qualification. © bernardphoto.

Despite that, Blanco remains optimistic for the club he loves so dearly. He told Midi Olympique that “our ambition once again will be to finish in the top six and go as far as possible in the Challenge Cup. I think we’re going to surprise people in a lot of areas. I’m ready to go to war with this group.” Fighting talk indeed, but it would be a shock to see Biarritz back it up on the pitch over the course of the season. There is a real sense of a wounded Goliath about BO, but of course any flailing strike presents real danger for the opposition.

The Coach

Rodriguez is still in charge of the forwards at Biarritz, but it is backs coach Faugeron who dictates their approach. The former winger had coaching spells with Brive, Agen, Stade Francais and Bayonne before arriving at BO. While les Biarrots’ style of play over the last number of years has been highly structured around Yachvili’s kicking skills, Faugeron has been working to expand their attacking game plan since December.

In his own words: “A player must be ready to come out of the given structure. There are never good or bad places to attack from. I ask the players to be constantly on the alert and reading the game. You can’t create mismatches unless you react in real time.” The fruits of that philosophy were a more expansive attacking game from Biarritz in the second half of the season, and it may finally be time for BO to leave behind the template that brought them so much glory.

Transfer Activity

Joe Pietersen joins from the Stormers. (c) Paul Barnard.

Biarritz’s attempts to find an outhalf have landed them Dan Waenga. The 27-year-old Kiwi made his Super Rugby debut off the bench for the Chiefs this season after years of ITM Cup experience with Hawke’s Bay and Bay of Plenty. Waenga replaces Jean-Pascal Barraque, who moved to Toulouse this summer. Yachvili will continue to run the team from scrumhalf, but Waenga’s success in adapting to the Top 14 will be important.

Italian international lock Josh Furno joins from Narbonne and is a player of real potential. The 23-year-old Melbourne-native has played in the back row and possess excellent lineout skills. Tongan international Ueleni Fono (31) joins from relegated Agen. His power can be utilised anywhere across the back row. Loosehead prop Alexandre Menini (29) is likely to push hard for a spot in the starting XV. Having spent his entire career in the Pro D2, his first Top 14 campaign with a poor Mont de Marsan team last season was impressive.

The most exciting signing is perhaps Joe Pietersen from the Stormers in South Africa. The 29-year-old has seven years of Super Rugby experience and is a sharp attacking presence from fullback. Pietersen spent a season with BO’s neighbours Bayonne in ’10/11, where he scored seven tries in 17 games. A wildcard addition is Samoan sevens star Paul Perez (26). He has seven international caps in the fifteen-a-side game, as well as ITM and Currie Cup exposure.

Key Players

Yachvili is still in charge at BO. (c) Peter Dean.

Yachvili is still the man in Biarritz. At 32, he remains the key for les Biarrots. If he can avoid injuries and find his best form, Faugeron’s side will flourish. Yachvili is the side’s playmaker from scrumhalf, and he is given free reign to play the game as he sees fit. It’s hard to stress just how important the French international is to Biarritz. If he plays well, BO do too.

Harinordoquy has been plagued with injuries for the past two seasons, but remains an important cog. His career has been magnificent, but the 33-year-old is not finished yet. Harinordoquy recently stated his ambition to be involved in the 2015 Rugby World Cup and will have benefited from an extended rest this summer. His skills and genius remain but, like Yachvili, the question is whether his body can keep going.

In the centre, Damien Traille is still going at the ripe old age of 34. His experience and defensive leadership are likely to be deployed at 12. Outside him at 13, Benoît Baby had one of the best seasons of his career having finally settled in one position and remaining injury-free. The French international’s attacking threat was one of the main positives of the campaign. On the wing, American winger Takudzwa Ngwenya’s searing pace is always a threat.

Up front, Raphaël Lakafia (24) is a powerful presence in the back-row, while fellow French cap Arnaud Héguy will need to take control at hooker following the retirement of Biarritz hero Benoît August. The loss of flanker Wenceslas Lauret (24) to Racing Metro will also be felt.

Irish Connection

Balshaw (passing) has become an important part of the set-up at Biarritz in recent years. (c) Martin Dobey.

There are no Irishmen at Biarritz, but Iain Balshaw has played against Ireland and the provincial sides on numerous occasions. The 34-year-old will miss the start of the season as he recovers from knee surgery, but is expected back in mid-September. Fellow English international Magnus Lund is in his sixth season with les Biarrots. Capped 10 times, he is likely to be used at blindside.

That duo are joined by a compatriot in the shape of Addison Lockley (21). The England U20 lock has signed for the club’s academy after impressing for Moseley in the Championship. Tighthead prop Ben Broster is another name that may be familiar. The 31-year-old was capped twice for Wales. Physical wing Aled Brew (9 Wales caps) scored just one try in 30 appearances in his first season at Biarritz and his place comes under threat from the exciting Teddy Thomas.

Possible Starting XV

15. Joe Pietersen 14. Takudzwa Ngwenya 13. Benoît Baby 12. Damien Traille 11. Teddy Thomas/Aled Brew 10. Dan Waenga 9. Dimitri Yachvilli 8. Imanol Harinordoquy 7. Raphaël Lakafia 6. Magnus Lund/Benoît Guyot 5. Josh Furno 4. Pelu Taele 3. Ben Broster/Francisco Gomez-Kodela 2. Arnuad Héguy 1. Fabien Barcella/Alexandre Menini

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Photos: Paul Barnard, Peter Dean, Martin Dobey, bernardphoto.

Centre Experiment a Success for Madigan

Madigan doing what he does best: ripping a long, flat pass.

With many rugby fans and pundits seeing Ian Madigan as a possible Lion, Saturday’s win over Biarritz was his last audition for the part. The Leinster back’s versatility is seen as a big on-tour advantage. Having already played at both outhalf and fullback this season, Saturday saw the 24-year-old step in at inside centre.

So far in his career, Madigan has started 46 games for Leinster. 36 of those have come at outhalf and 9 at fullback. Last Saturday was his first appearance in the 12 jersey. At U20 international level, Madigan actually had more starts at fullback (5) than at outhalf (4). During the Six Nations, he made brief appearances for Ireland at inside centre. It’s clear that outhalf is his best position, and that he can now be considered as good cover for fullback. Last season, the Demented Mole even suggested trying him at scrumhalf. He’s versatile, that much is certain.

So how did the experiment of playing Madigan at 12 go?

He had an uncharacteristically nervy start to the game, knocking on 2 of his first 3 touches. The first knock-on came as Leinster tried to send Madigan boshing into the Biarritz defence direct from lineout possession, clearly not a role he’s built for. Biarritz outhalf Barraque stopped him in this tracks and Madigan spilled the ball forward. Minutes later, another knock-on. This one came under very little pressure and with a 3-on-2 outside him. He was clearly aware of this, planning his next move before he’d even caught the pill. Not a great start.

Madigan’s first defensive involvement will be marked as a missed tackle, but came from a scrappy situation after Leinster over-threw at their own lineout. The screengrabs below show what happened. While it was an unusual situation, it shows the demands of defending in the 12 channel. Coaches everywhere preach the importance of not getting pierced in the middle of the pitch. While the blame here should be shared amongst a few players, Madigan will be annoyed not to have prevented the line-break.

Click to enlarge. The action starts in the top left after Strauss overthrows at the lineout and Heguy claims the bouncing ball for BO. Moving to the top right, you can see that Sexton has stepped in to tackle Heguy but without preventing the pass to Barraque. Madigan has already drifted a little and the gap is opened. Moving to bottom left, Madigan tries in vain to grab the BO outhalf, but is in a bad position and gets handed off. Finally, bottom right, you can see that Barraque has offloaded to Ngwenya, who goes all the way to the 22, Leinster give away the penalty and 3 points.

From there, Madigan’s performance improved. In the next 5 minutes, he made two tackles on Baby and Traille, going in low on both occasions and halting their progress. It was exactly what Madigan needed, something to get him into the game. His first positive attacking contribution came after 25 minutes, taking a switch off Sexton and popping the ball inside to Nacewa. Madigan’s ease of handling was evident, highlighting the advantages of using him as an Aaron Mauger-style second five-eight.

Two of Biarritz’s first three kick-offs were aimed directly into the zone where Madigan was situated. The intention was to put Damien Traille directly up against Madigan for the high ball. The first time, the French centre got above his opposite number, nearly claiming the ball, before his team gave away a penalty. The clear sign that Biarritz intended to target Madigan was Traille slipping a sneaky little kick to the Leinster 12 as they got off the ground. BOD was clearly not happy!

On the second occasion, Rob Kearney recognised the ploy, sprinting forward and actually knocking Madigan over in order to claim the ball. It’s not a major thing, but worth watching if Madigan is to play at 12 again. At 5’11”, he’s not the tallest and could be targeted in a similar manner.

Biarritz looked to target Madigan with short drop-offs. On the left, Traille gets above Madigan. On the right, Rob Kearney recognised the tactic and arrives to rescue the situation. Click photo to enlarge.

The remainder of Madigan’s half involved some effective clean-outs at ruck-time, and one gorgeous pass. With time up on the clock, Leinster quick-tapped a penalty. Sexton move it to Madigan, who looked up to see that Baby had shot out of BO’s defensive line. Most players would have either trucked it up or thrown a looping pass over Baby. But Madigan’s vision allowed him to fire a flat pass in behind Baby, straight to Nacewa on the wing. Leinster were over the gain line, Biarritz were scrambling and the passage ended with Jamie Heaslip scoring.

Madigan’s role as a second-five eight was really interesting to watch. While Gordon D’Arcy is certainly no battering ram, Madigan’s skills are more suited to a play-making role in the centre. All of Leinster’s backline possess good passing skills, but Madigan is the best passer in the country. The above was the most obvious example of the benefits of playing Madigan at 12. His passing and creativity open up even more possibilities for Leinster in wider areas.

Madigan’s second-half got off to a flyer, quite literally. As Biarritz attacked in the Leinster 22, Synaeghel knocked on and Madigan intercepted. He then showed exceptional pace to burst away and came up just 5 metres short, caught by Ngwenya. The American winger was sin-binned and Leinster added 3 points. That sheer pace is something we haven’t seen too much of in Madigan’s game, but it’s just another string to his bow.

Madigan almost scores a length-of-the-field try. Top left, he’s onto the BO knock-on in a flash. Top right, he shows great acceleration to burst away. Bottom left, Ngwenya is making ground. Bottom right, hauled down agonizingly short!

His next two contributions were defensive. The first was an excellent tackle on a surging Thibault Dubarry. His hit was strong and actually forced a knock-on, which wasn’t noticed by referee Wayne Barnes. The next was another low tackle on Traille, bringing him to the deck.

With Sexton subbed off, Madigan moved to outhalf and taking over place-kicking duties on the 50 minute mark. He began by converting Nacewa’s try with ease. His form off the tee is excellent, and that continued on Saturday, with 3 from 3 in total.

Overall, Madigan’s first outing in the 12 jersey for Leinster was a positive one. While there were signs that he was slightly uncomfortable in the role at first, he grew into the game and managed to show off some of his skills. With Jonny Sexton still only 27, it’s something we may see more of in the future, possibly with the Irish national team. In terms of a Lions audition, Madigan showed glimpses of the skill set he can offer. Would you have him on the Lions squad or with Ireland this summer? Is there a future for Madigan at 12 alongside Sexton for Ireland? Let me know your views!

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Madigan’s stats vs. Biarritz, from ESPNScrum.com:

Kick/pass/run: 0/13/6     Metres run: 102     Clean breaks: 1     Defenders   beaten: 3     Tackles made/missed: 7/2

Areas Where Leinster Can Thrive

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In this brief post, I take a look at three areas in which Leinster may be able to exploit Biarritz tomorrow. The screen grabs are taken from Biarritz’s 32-28 win over Clermont (highlights above) on the 23rd of March in the Top 14. While BO were impressive that day and showed that they pose many dangers to Leinster, there were also a number of potential weaknesses on display.

Didier Faugeron’s side run a fairly standard defence. They flood the breakdown, if a turnover is blatantly on, but generally fan out and fill the line. Their wingers drop back to cover kicks, or step into the line if the opposition spread it wide. There is one potential flaw in the system though, and Leinster should look to benefit from it. Faugeron has given his players the freedom to individually ‘shoot’ up out of the defensive line if they think a ‘ball-and-all’ tackle is on. While this can result in big defensive plays, it can also leave their defensive line vulnerable.

Barraque ‘shoots’ out of the defence to great effect. Click to enlarge.

In the example above, you can see a Biarritz player (Barraque) has shot up out of the defensive line on his own. On this occasion, he managed to hit the Clermont attacker (Zirakashvili) as he received the ball. Zirakashvili tried a panicked offload and Biarritz won the ball back. On the flip side, the example below shows Yachvili getting it all wrong. He’s the ‘shooter’ this time but gets caught in no-man’s land, leaving Clermont with a 3-on-2. In this game, Biarritz were very hit-and-miss with the success of their ‘shooters’.

Yachvili makes the wrong call and exposes Biarritz’s defence. Click photo to enlarge.

Leinster should look to exploit the Biarritz shooters through simple, short pop passes inside or outside to trail runners. In these circumstances, communication from the support players is the key, as the person giving the pass usually won’t even see the shooter coming.

The next area Leinster could look to take advantage of is Biarritz’s kick-chase. While they have something of a reputation as a formidable kick-chase team, this game against Clermont saw a sloppy display in that regard. Two Clermont tries came as a result of poor kick-chasing. The first example is below. Barraque has kicked out from BO’s 22, and Clermont have run the ball back into the BO half. The chase was  lazy, and one phase later Sivivatu breaks through and passes for Skrela to score.

Biarritz’s organisation after kick-chase can be poor. Click for larger image.

If you look at the photo above, you can count 8 Biarritz players on the blindside, including 3 in the back-field. While Sivivatu did well to break the line from this particular situation, Biarritz didn’t seem to be well organised following kick-chases in general. They conceded from a remarkably similar situation later in the game. Again, Barraque kicked out from inside the 22. The chase was unorganized and 3 phases after the kick, Clermont created the 4-on-3 situation below and scored. Check the match highlights at the top of the post to see both tries in action.

Another try following a Biarritz kick.

Biarritz winger Takudzwa Ngwenya is a lethal counter-attacker and finisher thanks to his sheer pace, but he should be targeted defensively. He struggles to make the right decision about when to come in off his wing and tackle. The photo below shows a prime example. Clermont have gone wide following a lineout. The Biarritz defensive line is actually in good shape at this exact moment. With Benoit Baby drifting across, all Ngwenya has to worry about is tackling his opposite number. But immediately after this frame, he decides to rush up on the fullback. Regan King throws a simple skip pass and puts Nakaitaci clean down the touchline.

Ngwenya about to make the wrong decision.

There was a similar situation later in the match, pictured below. As outhalf Brock James attacks the line, Ngwenya gets tighter and tighter to the man inside him. As you can see, he’s got his body position all wrong, completely facing in towards the action rather than out towards where the ball is being passed. The winger leaves himself in a bad position, Nakaitaci is left with lots of room out wide for Clermont and nearly scores. Leinster should look to use Madigan’s excellent passing game from inside centre to force Ngwenya into making these sort of decisions. He’s not comfortable with doing so.

Ngwenya gets himself in a bad position again.