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Versailles - Britain and Ireland turned up the heat on Saturday to surge four points ahead in the Seve Trophy showdown against Continental Europe.
On a morning of extraordinary feats on the greens by both sides, Paul McGinley's team enjoyed a hot streak as they ran away with the greensomes 3 ½ - ½ to establish a 9-5 overall lead.
Captain McGinley was delighted to see his team bounce back from defeat on Friday.
"It was a great reaction after yesterday," McGinley told reporters. "We didn't panic and got ourselves back on track. A lot of big putts were holed by both teams but we holed them at the important time on the back nine."
Continental Europe captain Jean Van de Velde said he expected his men to gain revenge in the afternoon foursomes.
"It was a lot tighter than it looks and it could easily have been 2-2 this morning," the Frenchman said. "I'm now looking for a clean plate (whitewash) by my team this afternoon."
With the St Nom la Breteche greens responding to sonar-like putting, 12-footers became commonplace and it took something spectacular to wrench a hole from the opposition.
Englishman Simon Dyson's 40 foot stunner on the 14th for him and Welsh partner Jamie Donaldson broke the deadlock against the youthful pairing of Italian Matteo Manassero and Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts, leading to a 2 & 1 success for the Britons.
Swedes Peter Hanson and Alex Noren included three 30-footers in their repertoire. Englishman David Horsey's brilliant approach to just four feet for British Open partner Darren Clarke to hole out for eagle on the 17th looked to have won it. Ryder Cup man Hanson, though, made it a half with a 15-footer for birdie on 18.
Thomas Bjorn was also on song with the putter but it was not enough to prevent the Dane and French partner Raphael Jacquelin going under 2 & 1 to English pairing Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher.
World No 2 Lee Westwood and tour rookie Scott Jamieson then added to the away team's haul, overcoming Spaniards Miguel-Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal 4 & 3.
Westwood and his young Scottish partner drifted a hole behind early on but then produced a remarkable run, winning six holes in succession. Jamieson's 12-yard putt on the ninth took the British pairing five-up. Hopes of a Spanish fightback were ended with Westwood's 15 foot birdie putt on 15.
Scores on Saturday from the Vivendi Seve Trophy at the 6 983-yard, par-71 golf course of Saint-Nom-la-Breteche:
BRITAIN & IRELAND 11½, CONTINENTAL EUROPE 6½
Saturday
Greensomes
Britain and Ireland 3½, Continental Europe ½
Jamie Donaldson and Simon Dyson, Britain and Ireland, def. Nicolas Colsaerts and Matteo Manassero, Continental Europe, 2 and 1.
Peter Hanson and Alexander Noren, Continental Europe, halved with Darren Clarke and David Horsey, Britain and Ireland.
Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter, Britain and Ireland, def. Thomas Bjorn and Raphael Jacquelin, Continental Europe, 2 and 1.
Lee Westwood and Scott Jamieson, Britain and Ireland, def. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Pablo Larrazabal, Continental Europe, 4 and 3.
Foursomes
Britain and Ireland 2½, Continental Europe 1½
Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero, Continental Europe, halved with Robert Rock and Jamie Donaldson, Britain and Ireland.
Thomas Bjorn and Anders Hansen, Continental Europe, def. Ross Fisher and Mark Foster, Britain and Ireland, 3 and 2.
Simon Dyson and Ian Poulter, Britain and Ireland, def. Pablo Larrazabal and Alexander Noren, Continental Europe, 3 and 1.
Lee Westwood and David Horsey, Britain and Ireland, def. Raphael Jacquelin and Nicolas Colsaerts, Continental Europe, 4 and 3.
