Montpellier lost 7:24 to Aviron Bayonnais in the SuperSevens tournament on Thursday. The visitors took control early and never let the hosts back into the contest. By then it was clear this would not be a close encounter.
Bayonnais came into this fixture with mixed form. They had beaten Montpellier 21:19 in their last meeting on 30 August, but that followed defeats to Clermont and Bordeaux Bègles in the same round. Montpellier, meanwhile, had suffered losses to Monaco and La Rochelle before that win over Bayonnais. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact.
The match itself was decided in the opening period. Bayonnais scored first and never looked back. Montpellier managed to add a try of their own, but the visitors kept coming. The old head settled them down after the break and they ran out comfortably. By the final whistle the margin was already unassailable.
The statistics tell a simple story. Bayonnais scored four tries to Montpellier's one. Possession was shared fairly evenly, but the visitors were more clinical. Expected points suggest the scoreline could have been even wider. Many shots with one goal means chances went begging, and here it was the other way round.
This result leaves Bayonnais fifth in the table with 12 points from three matches. Montpellier sit fourth with 10 points after four games. The gap between them is narrow, but the momentum has shifted. The visitors will take confidence from this performance.