ProD2 play-off preview: SU Agen favourites to
join Racing-Metro 92 in Top 14
22 May 2009
 The
ProD2 play-offs also get underway this weekend with
four teams vying to join
champions Racing-Metro 92 in
getting promoted up to Top 14.
SU
Agen finished second behind Racing and the once-mighty
club are clear favourites to go up. Fist they have a home
semi-final at the Stade Armandie against fifth-placed
Oyonnax, a team they beat home (26-19) and away (19-3)
during the regular season.
Agen –
eight times French champions - have been in prolific form
during the second half of the season, boosted by the return
to the club of controversial Fijian winger Rupeni
Caucaunibuca.
ProD2 Table /
Racing to the Top - an insight into
ProD2 champs Racing-Metro 92
Twenty-two-year-old former Toulouse winger Yoann Huget –
picked this week in the France ‘A’ squad – may be the
division’s leading try-scorer with 14, but Caucaunibuca
pushed him close after racking up 12 in just 15 games after
re-signing in mid-season.
Agen
completed their league fixtures with a morale-boosting 32-17
home win against Racing last weekend and should go into
their Sunday play-off full of confidence after nine league
victories in their last 10 games.
They
were Top 14 runners-up as recently as 2002 – losing 25-22 to
Biarritz – but have been in ProD2 since being relegated at
the end of the 2006/7 season.
Oyonnax
have never played in France’s top tier and though they start
as rank outsiders they will not be without hope after
finishing the season with the tightest defence – just 27
tries conceded – and the highest individual points-scorer –
23-year-old Pierre Yves-Montagnat, with 310.
They have, however, only won four times away
from home this season, although two of those were in their
last two matches – 18-10 at Grenoble and 29-16 at RC
Narbonne.
The
other semi-final sees SCA Albi – relegated last
season due to financial irregularities – play host to La
Rochelle at the Stadium Municipal d’Albi.
Eric
Bechu’s Albi have lost just once at home all season – a
14-26 reverse against Racing – and should start as
favourites against a La Rochelle side which has only won
five times on the road.
La
Rochelle are probably best known as being the starter club
for France and Stade Toulousain scrum-half Jean-Baptiste
Elissalde. He followed in the footsteps of his father
Jean-Pierre and grandfather Arnaud in donning the La
Rochelle number nine shirt.
ProD2
play-offs:
23/05/09 – SU Agen v Oyonnax (4pm)
24/05/09 – SCA Albi v La Rochelle (3pm)
Final:
31/5/09 - winners of SU Agen/Oyonnax v winners of SCA
Albi/La Rochelle
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