ProD2, r20: Oyonnax claim top spot after SU Agen are held to a draw away to Grenoble

08 February 2010

Oyonnax are the new ProD2 leaders after long-time front-runners SU Agen drew 12-12 away to Grenoble on Saturday, paving the way for second-placed Oyonnax to leapfrog into first place after their 21-6 bonus-point home win against Lyon OU on Sunday.

Agen’s latest result continued a run of indifferent recent form that has now seen them win just once in their last four league games, dating back to December 19th.

It may not have been a disastrous result given the context of the match – drawing away to the fifth–placed side – but it does mean they have now coughed up the ProD2 leadership (and a one-time 10 point lead), although they do still have a game in hand.

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South African kickers dominated in Saturday’s encounter, with Grenoble’s Danie de Beer and new Agen fly-half Conrad Barnard scoring all the points as both landed four successful penalties apiece.

De Beer opened the game’s scoring when he slotted a seventh-minute effort, before Barnard – making his Agen debut after signing from Toulon – replied with a brace of his own. The hosts then went temporarily down to 14 men following Jone Daunivucu’s 23^rd-minute yellow, but still managed to pull level after De Beer kicked his second penalty just six minutes later.

It remained 6-6 until after half-time, when a similar scoring patter saw De Beer regain the initiative for Grenoble before a Barnard double put Agen 9-12 up with 17 minutes to play.

But the visitors were denied victory when De Beer’s fourth penalty brought parity again in the 72^nd minute, with Agen ending the match a man down after Opeti Fonua’s last-minute sin-binning.

So Agen had to settle for a share of the match spoils, paving the way for second-placed Oyonnax to wipe out their lead – which had been just two points going into round 20 – as they entertained Lyon OU on Sunday afternoon.

Oyonnax, who were losing finalists in last season’s play-offs, did have the considerable advantage of knowing what they had to achieve prior to kick-off – due to the fact they were playing on Sunday – but any thoughts it would be a straightforward victory were quickly dashed when Pierre-Yves Montagnat’s sixth-minute penalty gave Lyon the early lead against his former side.

Oyonnax full-back Sylver Tian replied in kind soon after before two tries in three minutes saw the hosts take a firm grip on the match. First over was outside centre Frédéric Charrier (on 17 minutes), with winger Jean-Maurice Oulouma following in (on 20 mins) to confirm the home side’s dominance. The only down side for the hosts was that neither try was converted, but they had still opened up a 13-3 lead by midway in the first half.

Lyon did manage to reduce that advantage thanks to Xavier Sadourny’s 30^th-minute drop-goal, but Sébastien Bouillot slotted a penalty five minutes after the interval to re-establish the home side’s 10-point lead.

The rest of the second period was all about Oyonnax seeking their third try to secure the attacking bonus, and it eventually arrived 13 minutes from time when former Lyon winger Jérôme Naves touched down for the crucial score – and his seventh try of the season.

The bonus-point win was enough to lift Oyonnax into top spot, and they should certainly still be there after round 21 too as they entertain basement club Lannemezan. But it’s their next match after that which has now become such a crucial encounter, with the new leaders then set to visit Agen in a game which could have massive consequences in the chase for the only automatic promotion slot. Lyon, meanwhile, slipped from fourth to sixth after their defeat.

Third-placed La Rochelle were also in action on Sunday as they consolidated their position at the head of the chasing pack – six points behind Agen – thanks to their 31-5 away win at Lannemezan.

Full-back Benjamin Dambielle put them 6-0 up with a brace of early penalties before Lannemezan’s season-long struggle with discipline struck again as they had two players sin-binned before half-time. First off was lock Grégory Bernard (in the 14^th minute), with replacement Jacques Botha also seeing yellow before the break (in the 38^th minute).

La Rochelle added two more penalties leading up to the interval, but had to wait until the 56^th minute to open their try account when their forward efforts eventually won them a penalty try, converted by Dambielle.

Two minutes later Stéphane Clement then went over as the attacking bonus drew ever nearer, but Lannemezan replied with a try of their own nine minutes from time when full-back Julien Cazaneve touched down.

Suddenly the visitors now needed two tries in the closing stages to secure the extra point, but they had to settle for a regulation win despite Sébastien Boboul’s score three minutes from time.

Still, the victory alone was enough to ensure they remained in third place, two points ahead of RC Narbonne, who won 43-10 at home to relegation threatened Aix-en-Provence.

Narbonne ran in seven tries in all as they completely out-classed Provence, with Czech second row Robert Voves setting them on their way with his 10^th-minute effort – his first for the club after 41 league games.

A pair of Delkeith Pottas penalties then extended the lead before full-back Léo Griffoul and winger Romain Martial both touched down to hand Narbonne a 23-3 half-time lead.

Samoan number eight Manaia Salavea ensured they began the second half in similar style when he went over two minutes after the restart, but the home side’s surge was then temporarily halted following a 53^rd-minute yellow card for flanker Benjamin Beaux. Salavea’s second try – on 61 minutes – re-ignited their attacking intent, with replacement Brendon Hegarty and Martial both crossing in the final 10 minutes as Narbonne wrapped up their bonus-point win.

Martial’s try double took his season’s tally to eight, and confirmed him as the division’s leading try-scorer, while Provence had to settle for the late consolation of Xavier Naulleau’s effort as they went down to their 13^th defeat in 19 matches.

Their latest defeat was another blow to their survival hopes, especially after 14^th-placed Colomiers had beaten Aurillac 13-9 at home on Saturday.

Colomiers were trailing 3-6 at half-time as Arno Coetzee out-kicked Frédéric Pujo by two penalties to one, but the latter landed his second just three minutes after the restart before home winger Lilian Majeste touched down for the game’s only try shortly after.

Pujo was on target with the conversion to make it 13-6, and it remained like that until Bourlon’s 72^nd-minute penalty at least earned Aurillac a defensive bonus.

Elsewhere, Pau extended their unbeaten run to seven matches thanks to a hard-earned 3-3 away draw at Dax. The draw was Pau’s fourth of the season, and their third in their last seven games, but it was enough to maintain their current push for a play-off berth even though they dropped from sixth to seventh. The visitors are now level on 53 points with sixth-placed Lyon, and just one point further back from Grenoble.

Saturday’s low-scoring affair typified their current doggedness, with Andre Hough’s 31^st-minute penalty enough to earn them a share of the points after Maxime Petitjean later equalized 13 minutes into the second half.

Tenth-placed Dax remain seven points ahead of Mont-de-Marsan – the other team they were relegated with from Top 14 last season – despite the latter winning 19-3 away to FC Auch Gers at the weekend.

The match was evenly placed 3-3 at half-time, but ‘Les Montois’ began to pull away after the break when Thibault Duvallet added two more penalties to his earlier effort. The victory was then secured when Jean-Marc Mazzonetto touched down on 65 minutes, with Duvallet again on target with the extras. It remained 16-3 to Mont-de-Marsan until the final minute, when Duvallet rounded off the win with his fourth successful penalty.

In the weekend’s other match promotion-chasing Union Bordeaux Bègles extended Tarbes’ current misery, winning 16-9 on Saturday to leave the visitors nursing their ninth defeat in their last 11 league games.

The 21^st-minute try from home full-back Vungakoto Lilo proved the game’s decisive moment, with the Tongan’s effort being supplemented by two penalties from Henri-Pierre Vermis and a Jaco Van Schalkwyk drop-goal as the hosts ran out 16-9 winners.

The result leaves Bordeaux five points off the play-off places in eighth spot, while Tarbes slipped down to 13^th as their disappointing season continued.

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