ProD2 round-up: Aurillac reclaim the lead; Bourg stay bottom despite win

17 November 2008

Aurillac regained the lead in ProD2 thanks to a bonus-point victory at Colomiers that saw them climb back above Racing Metro.

Three ties in 15 minutes either side of half-time proved decisive with Graydon Staniforth, Julien Marshall and Dan Baleinadogo all going over for the visitors.

Colomiers had earlier raced into an early 9-0 lead courtesy of a trio of penalties (two from Pujo and one from Corey Niwa) but Aurillac’s Delkeith Potts responded with three his own before Staniforth’s breakthrough try on the stroke of half-time.

Potts added the conversion, as he did with the two subsequent tries after the break, with Colomiers reduced to just two more penalties as they were overpowered by the promotion chasing visitors.

Racing Metro ‘92, who had led the table going into the weekend, slipped to second despite their 31-20 home win against Oyonnax.

Former All Black fly-half Andrew Mehrtens enjoyed an excellent game as he top and tailed a 26-point performance with a first-minute drop goal and an 80^th-minute penalty – his seventh of the afternoon.

Sefulu Gaugau scored the Paris club’s only try, early in the second half, with Jerome Naves doing likewise for Oyonnax just before the hour mark. Four penalties from Pierre Yves Montagnat kept the visitors in touch but Racing always had enough to spare as they collected their eighth win of the campaign.

Kicking also held sway as SC Albi climbed a place to third following their 18-12 home win against Tarbes.

Benjamin Lapeyre (2) and John Stewart (4) shared six penalties between them as they came from 12-6 down early in the second half to secure the win. All Tarbes’ points came from the boot of Apanui, who slotted four penalty kicks.

La Rochelle slipped to fourth after going down 19-16 at Agen, their second consecutive defeat after last week’s 25-19 reverse at Aurillac.

Both sides exchanged two early penalties apiece – Francois Freeze for Agen and Benjamin Dambielle for La Rochelle – before the visitors seized the initiative with Florian Ninard going over for the game’s opening try in the 35^th minute.

Dambielle converted to lift La Rochelle 13-6 clear, but Agen’s response was swift and immediate with prolific Tongan Opeti Fonua racing in for the equalizing try just four minutes later.

The score remained 13-13 at half-time, but Agen ground out the win courtesy of two more Freeze penalties after the interval.

Two first half tries – from Julien Dumora and Clement Darbo – set Pau on their to a 21-16 home win against Lyon OR.

Dumora’s opening try added to a 10^th-minute penalty from Sebastien Descons, with Darbo crashing over just before the interval to secure the host’s dominance.

Jeandre Fourie replied with a brace of penalties before Fijian Vinaya Wakanivuga scored in the 58^th minute to reduce the arrears. Peclier converted and added a late penalty to keep the match alive, but Descons was also on target with two second-half kicks as Pau’s fifth win of the season lifted them up to eighth.

Paillaugue kicked five penalties as FC Auch Gers beat Union Bordeaux-Begles 15-5, despite the visitors grabbing the only try of the game through Jimmy Marlu’s unconverted 39^th-minute effort.

At the other end of the table basement club Bourg-en-Bresse recorded only their second win of the season as three Mathieu Chabaud penalties helped beat fellow strugglers Beziers 9-3.

Bourg remain at the foot of the table despite the win, but they have now closed the gap of Beziers to just a single point.

© Copyright FrenchRugbyClub.com. All rights reserved.