Paul Dearlove: "It's been a good couple of weeks - in fact it's been a good six months"

The Top 14 play-offs may be be generating the majority of headlines this week but it’s also a crucial weekend in ProD2, with four teams putting themselves on the line for the opportunity to take a step nearer plying their trade in France’s elite division next season.

Champions SU Agen have already secured their slot in Top 14, so now it’s over to Lyon OU, La Rochelle, Oyonnax and Pau to stake their respective claims.

Lyon OU finished second – although level on points with third-placed La Rochelle – and so have home advantage against Pau, while La Rochelle’s dramatic last-day win at Oyonnax means they now have a home semi-final against the same opponents.

Home advantage can be crucial in these matches, but Pau’s Paul Dearlove (and FRC columnist) says his side have nothing to fear from their trip to Lyon. Earlier in the season they drew 22-22 at Lyon, and they go into Sunday’s match full of confidence on the back of a run that seen them lose just twice in their last 18 games – dating back to mid-December.

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Now they stand just two games away from a return to Top 14, and that prospect alone has galvanised both the team and the town.

For Dearlove it is an especially sweet end to the season after he had been forced to consider his entire future within the sport as he battled a herniated disc problem in October and November.

Surgery was on the cards at that point but thankfully he made a sufficient recovery to avoid going under the surgeon’s knife, and his return to fitness was such that he started the last 16 games of Pau’s regular season, and played 80 minutes in all those matches bar one (when he was rested during a comprehensive win).

Pau were still struggling to put a decent run of results together when he did eventually return, but their push to the semis gathered increasing momentum in the New Year and they go into Sunday’s clash having won their last three away games too.

“It’s been a good couple of weeks for us. In fact, we’ve put together a good six months really,” he admits. “We’re obviously very pleased with how the season has finished and it’s nice to play in the semis. I think I would have preferred to play against Oyonnax, but Lyon… we went up there and drew last time, so I’ve got no problem with Lyon.”

Dearlove believes their initial inconsistency was down to a lack of cohesion, although the potential for success was always there. They key, however, has been their resolute defence.

“I think we were always capable of doing things, it was just a matter of confidence and the guys gelling, which can take a little bit of time. Something we focused on at Christmas time was to say we wanted the best defence in the league. I don’t think we ended up with the best one - we were third - but you build everything around defence and rely on your counter-attacking to score, and that seems to be the way we tend to score, rather than a lot of first phase stuff,” he said.

The Christmas break also saw another crucial development, with the coaching staff deciding to make Monday a team day where all the squad ate together and then studied the weekend’s video, with players encouraged to develop responsibility for both their own actions and for voicing possible improvements. Encouraging the collective is usually at the heart of a successful team, and so it has proved at Pau in the second half of the season.

“The thing with ProD2 is that the difference between the team that finished third and the team that finished 13^th is nothing. Mont-de-Marsan are a good side and they finished 12^th, Auch are a good side and they finished 13^th. The difference between the good sides and those that make the semis is 3-4%, and if you can review the video and steal a per cent, or somebody sees something that can be the couple of per cent that will hopefully make the difference between getting into the semis or finishing mid-table,” he reflects.

The club captain admitted their final day 19-16 win at Auch was a nerve-wracking affair – “we kind of choked up a little bit,” he said – but that the end result was all that mattered. “For the older guys I think you take it in your stride a bit and realise it’s not yet job done, but I think for the younger guys they were pretty overwhelmed because they hadn’t seen that sort of support and passion shown by the fans,” he added.

Dearlove is honest enough to admit that Lyon will start as favourites on Sunday, but also knows that anything can happen at this stage of the season. If he needs inspiration he need only look at Oyonnax’s surprise win over Agen in last year’s semis: “It’s knockout rugby and anything can happen. All you need is a couple of breaks go your way and suddenly you’re in the final, and then suddenly you win the final.”

Pau will have all but one of their squad available for selection on Sunday – another key factor behind their recent good form – and Dearlove is also excited by their summer recruitment.

“If we don’t quite crack it this season then I’m excited for next season, but while we’re quite pleased with how it’s gone it’s not finished yet and we’ll give it a full go at Lyon,” he promised.

They may be underdogs, but sport is all about surprises, and in feisty scrum-half Clement Darbo they also have one of the division’s form individuals driving on their quest to reach Top 14.

ProD2 Play-offs:
Lyon OU v Pau (May 16, 3pm)
La Rochelle v Oyonnax (May 15, 7pm)