Aviron Bayonnais plagued by injuries and management crisis

The French rugby club Aviron Bayonnais endured a difficult season marked by a persistent injury toll that kept many key players sidelined. Regular absences affected a long list of internationals – Manu Tuilagi, Sireli Maqala, Maxime Machenaud, Arthur Iturria, Baptiste Chouzenoux, Luke Tagi, Guillaume Martocq, Rodrigo Bruni and others – and limited the promising prop Tevita Tatafu to just six matches for the club. Despite the limited club appearances, Tatafu was still selected for the French national squad for the opening stage of the Six Nations.

Off the field, the club's internal relations deteriorated as a dispute grew between president Philippe Tayeb and manager Gregory Patat. The conflict is traced to a heated reaction by Tayeb after a preseason loss to Biarritz, subsequent contract extensions that favored other staff, and a series of decisions that excluded Patat from future planning. The tension has contributed to an overall lack of stability both on and off the pitch.