ProD2, r29: Celebrations begin as champions SU Agen secure promotion back to Top 14

02 May 2010

Season-long leaders SU Agen finally secured the ProD2 title on Sunday, and with it promotion back to Top 14, after they beat second-placed Lyon OU 34-11.

The result means Agen cannot now be caught with just one more league match to be played and the eight-time French champions will now return to Top 14 after three seasons down in ProD2.

Lyon fly-half Alexandre Gomez kicked the visitors ahead with a second-minute penalty, but Agen replied with two kicks of their own from Conrad Barnard before winger Romain Edmond-Samuel touched down just before half time.

Barnard's conversion made it 13-3 at the interval and the hosts went further ahead three minutes after the restart when Fijian flyer Rupeni Caucaunibuca crossed for Agen's second try in five minutes. Barnard was again on target, as he was just three minutes later when 22-year-old Edmond-Samuel raced in for their third try. That three-try burst in eight minutes left Agen 27-3 ahead and promotion all but secured.

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The score remained like that until Lyon flanker Lionel Mallier pulled a try back for visitors on 57 minutes, but Agen replied immediately to ensure the attacking bonus was retained with Caucaunibuca following Edmond-Samuel's lead by going over for his second score of the afternoon.

Replacement fly-half Francois Gelez knocked over the extras on this occasion, with Gomez' late penalty for Lyon finally ending the match 34-11 to the home side as the promotion celebrations began.

The focus now shifts on to which four sides will play-off for the right to join them in France's elite division, with La Rochelle taking advantage of Lyon's defeat to move up to second following their 45-3 trouncing of relegated Lannemezan on Saturday.

The hosts ran in six unanswered tries - three in each half - with winger Francois Hery initiating the rout with his 12th-minute effort, converted by Jérémy Bourlon. An Arno Coetzee drop-goal extended the lead to 10-0 before further tries from Stephan Gerber and Faycel Boukhanoucha took La Rochelle into a half-time lead of 24-3.

Flanker Ikapoté Fono went over for La Rochelle's fourth try on 50 minutes and there were later scores for Hery (his second) and Albert Valentin as the home side put themselves in pole position for the play-offs with just next weekend's trip to Mont-de-Marsan to now be negotiated.

Their win lifted them a point clear of Lyon OU, with fourth-placed Oyonnax a further point back following their 26-19 home win against Grenoble on Sunday.

A Sylver Tian penalty and Bertrand Guilloux drop-goal put the home side 6-0 up after 20 minutes but Grenoble bounced back with 10 points in eight minutes just before the break thanks to a Richard Choirat try and two kicks from Danie de Beer.

Tian's second penalty of the half brought Oyonnax back to 9-10 right on the whistle, but the visitors replied in kind through de Beer on 47 minutes as they maintained hopes of a crucial away win.

Jérôme Naves then touched down for Oyonnax as they reclaimed the lead but it was all square at 16-16 on the hour mark when de Beer slotted his fourth success of the afternoon.

Tian's 64th-minute penalty saw the lead swing back to the hosts, and then Mickael Campeggia went over for the home side's second try with eight minutes left as they made a decisive break. Tian's conversion put them 26-16 ahead, but Grenoble managed a last-minute penalty through Damien Vidal as they secured a defensive bonus.

But their single point wasn't enough to prevent them slipping out of the play-off zone, with Pau climbing above them from sixth to fifth following their 18-6 home win against Mont-de-Marsan.

Pau, who have timed their climb up the table to perfection, were once again thankful to the kicking prowess of scrum-half Clément Darbo, with the 24-year-old landing six penalties (and all of his team's points) as they finally made it into the play-off zone.

This latest win was their fifth on the spin and means they have now lust just twice in their last 16 league games, dating back to mid-December. Victory at FC Auch Gers next weekend would see them go into the play-offs with considerable momentum, no matter that they can finish no higher than fifth - meaning a certain away semi-final.

Jean-Marc Mazzonetto kicked a pair of penalties in response for Mont-de-Marsan, but this was their 14th defeat of a disappointing campaign as they have struggled to readjust following relegation from Top 14.

Down at the other end Colomiers ensured their ProD2 survival with a 16-14 home win against Tarbes. A Julien Turini try and eight points from the boot of Hugo Hernandez nudged them into a 13-11 half-time lead, and Frederic Couzier's late penalty secured the win after three Anthony Bourgeois penalties and an Adrien Domec try for Tarbes.

The victory kept them 10 points clear of Aix-en-Provence in 14th spot, despite the latter registering only their sixth win of the campaign with a 23-14 triumph over FC Auch Gers.

A pair of Konstantin Rachkov penalties put them 6-0 ahead after half an hour, but Auch came back to claim the half-time lead following Mathieu Acebes' converted try just before the interval.

The score remained 6-7 until 11 minutes from time, whereupon the match burst into life with three quick-fire tries. David Beun was first over for the home side as Provence moved 13-7 ahead, but Jonathan Brethous replied with a converted score for Auch as the visitors reclaimed a one-point advantage.

Antoine Lescalmel's 77th-minute drop-goal edged Provence back in front and then, with injury time being played, Jérôme Martinez touched down for the home side to at least give their fans a fond farewell to ProD2.

In the weekend's other game Dax went down 8-9 at home to Union Bordeaux-Bègles.  Camille Lopez kicked all of Bordeaux's points, with Dax limited to a Mathieu Ospital penalty and a try from AJ Whalley.

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