ProD2 play-off: Unheralded
Oyonnax one match from Top 14 after shock win at Agen
24 May 2009
SU Agen 15 (6) Oyonnax 18 (12)
Unheralded Oyonnax pulled off a major shock by beating
favourites SU Agen 18-15 away from home to win the second
semi-final of the ProD2 play-offs.
Again, like Saturday's first semi-final, there were no tries, but
Oyonnax will care not a fig about that after stunning
confident Agen with a disciplined and ultimately deserving
win.
It means the Ain club will now play SCA Albi in the ProD2
play-off final, for the right
to join champions Racing-Metro 92
in gaining promotion to Top 14.
Agen had gone into
the match as overwhelming favourites having finished the
regular season in second place, some nine points ahead of
their fifth-placed rivals. In addition, the free-scoring
hosts had amassed more than double Oyonnax's tally of 41
tries and had also beaten them at home and away during the
season.
ProD2 Table /
Racing to the Top - an insight into
ProD2 champs Racing-Metro 92
It seemed a relative
no-brainer, but then sport has this habit of biting when you
least expect - and Agen will know exactly how that feels
after the eight-times French champions failed to fire in
their most important match of the season.
The telling pre-match stats, it turned out, both favoured
Oyonnax. They went into the biggest game of their 100-year
history boasting ProD2's tightest defence - only 27 tries
conceded - and its leading points-scorer - in the shape of
place-kicking winger Pierre-Yves Montagnat.
Once more their
defence stood firm here, withstanding the predictable early
onslaught as Agen sought to set their runners free. The
coaching duo of Olivier Nier and Christophe Urios had
clearly done their homework and the combined threats of
Rupeni Caucaunibuca, Yoann Huget and rampaging number eight
Fonua Opeti were negated throughout.
Montagnat squandered
a 12th-minute penalty as Oyonnax found their feet after
soaking up Agen's early pressure, but he made amends three
minutes later when he slotted a straightforward effort from
30m.
He was on target
again two minutes later as Agen's frustrations led to
unnecessary ill-discipline, and they maintained their six
point advantage up to the break after Montagnat and Jerome
Miquel then traded two more penalties apiece.
Agen emerged with
renewed vigour after the interval and Miquel was on target
in the 44th and 53rd minutes as they fought back to parity.
But instead of the home side powering on and utilising their
increasing momentum it was Oyonnax who responded strongest,
with a disallowed try quickly followed by Montagnat's fifth
successful kick.
The 23-year-old
winger was wayward with two subsequent penalties as the
scale of the occasion appeared to nibble at his nerves, and
when Miquel equalised in the 73rd minute with a monster
effort from 50m it seemed the pendulum had swung again.
But the
ill-discipline that had dogged Agen throughout proved fatal
at the end with Saimone Vaka getting a yellow in the 76th
minute for taking the man without the ball, leaving
substitute fly-half Sebastien Bouillot to slot the winning
penalty.
The win takes
Oyonnax deeper into unchartered territory as the club had
only gained admission to ProD2 as recently as 2003. This was
the first time it had made the play-offs - squeezing through
in fifth spot, just one point ahead of Lyon OU - but now
they stand one game away from joining the likes of
Perpignan, Stade Toulousain and Clermont Auvergne in
France's premier rugby league.
To do that they will
have to beat SCA Albi,
who squeaked past La Rochelle on
Saturday after scoring more penalties - five to
four - following their 15-15 draw.
Final:
31/5/09 - Oyonnax v SCA
Albi (at Montpellier)
|
