French Rugby
Biarritz sink deeper into trouble
Scrum.com
December 16, 2008
Biarritz president Serge Blanco, April 26 2007
Biarritz President Serge Blanco is losing patience with his stuttering side © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Serge Blanco
Teams: France

Biarritz's back-to-back losses to Cardiff Blues have sunk the club deeper into trouble, ending their Heineken Cup challenge for this season and signalling six straight defeats for the Basque giants.

The club has seen two coaches come and go since the end of last season, with Jacques Delmas following Patrice Lagisquet out of the hotseat only last month. Amidst the back room chaos, newly-returned club President Serge Blanco had also moved to hold back players' wages until results improve.

"We proposed - but didn't impose - to the players that, starting next month, we retain part of their salary" Blanco told French newspaper Midi Olympique. "And we would reimburse them if the objectives were reached at the end of the season."

While the players refused to scheme, Blanco was quick to issue further warnings following last weekend's 6-10 loss to Cardiff at the Parc des Sports Aguilera, their third straight home defeat.

"My job is to say, 'you stay, you leave'...In life everything is negotiable, even contracts," said Blanco. "It would be dishonest to not talk straight. But don't worry, certain people are going to be ready to leave very quickly. The players need to hear the truth."

Biarritz are currently languishing in tenth spot in the Top 14, and their group stage elimination from Europe's top club competition is a far cry from their dramatic loss to Munster in the 2006 final. Blanco's threats should put the players on notice that further slip-ups from the side could well spell more trouble than simply a wage cut.

© Scrum.com

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