PARIS (AFP) – Fiji centre Sireli Maqala scored his sixth try of the season as Bayonne beat Racing 92 32-15 at home in the French Top 14 on Saturday.
Maqala’s second-half effort places him at the summit of the scoring charts for the season as the Basques sit seventh in the table.
They were denied an attacking bonus point, however, as Racing scored twice in the final 15 minutes.
“The end of the second half is annoying,” Bayonne back-rower Baptiste Heguy told reporters.
“We know every point is important, and there we let one go far too easily.”
Racing, without the rested ex-England captain Owen Farrell, suffered their fourth defeat of the campaign and languish in 10th.
“It’s difficult because we went out onto the field without conviction,” Racing forward Cameron Woki said.
“Unfortunately there were too few players who were hungry.”
Bayonne led 13-3 at the break as veteran Argentina hooker Facundo Bosch scored a try and fly-half Joris Segonds slotted a conversion and two penalties.
The hosts’ only score of the first half was a Nolann Le Garrec penalty, with the scrum-half expected to be named in France’s November Tests squad next week.
