For the second weekend on the trot, Edinburgh Reivers were left to rue a disappointing first half display as they again crashed to Biarritz.

A week after giving the French side a half-time lead in the South of France, Reivers again gave themselves to much to do in the second period by going in at the break trailing 22-3.

Despite a spirited fightback, which twice saw them get within five points of Biarritz, Reivers were denied by the old head of Frano Botica.

Botica landed two of his seven penalties in the last quarter to ensure that Reivers would not be able to register their third win of the Heineken Cup.

The Scottish District had their French visitors on the back foot for much of the second half, but a breakaway try early in the half, and the boot of Botica steadied the French to victory.

Main danger

Botica was again the main danger as the stand-off landed 25 points.

Reivers got off to the worst possible start after conceding a penalty in the first minute which Botica converted, but Duncan Hodge levelled the match four minutes later with his only successful kick of the half.

Both stand-offs then missed opportunities to give their side the lead, but it was the French who were posing the greatest threat, with Philippe Bernat-Salles looking particularly dangerous.

Botica reinstated the French lead, before the visitors scored the only try of the opening half. Having cleared the initial attack from Biarritz, Reivers went to sleep as the visitors ran the ball back.

Bernat-Salles stepped inside the Reivers defence and sent Sebastien Bonetti in for the score.

Penalised

Botica added the conversion, and then penalised Reivers for their indiscipline with three further penalties before the break to put Biarritz in a powerful position at the interval.

With a mountain to climb, Reivers came out firing in the second half, and Graham Shiel burst over within two minutes to give the Reivers a lifeline which Hodge converted.

However, the Scottish side were dealt a blow when after a period of pressure on the Biarritz line, the French side broke clear and Bonetti went over for his second try, converted by Botica.

However, the Reivers continued to force the French into mistakes, and two tries in five minutes brought the match back into the boiling pot.

Powered

First Cameron Murray broke through a pack of French players to score between the posts, and then Kevin Utterson powered his way over, and Hodge converted both.

A further penalty from Botica steadied French nerves before a further three points from Hodge again brought Reivers to within touching distance.

The French slowed the ball down in the last five minutes, giving the Reivers little opportunity to threaten the Biarritz line, and the sin-binning of replacement Iain Sinclair, followed by a final penalty from Botica, ensured victory for the visitors.