ProD2: Racing Metro beat Agen to move 10
points clear; Pau extend Aurillac's slump
15 February 2009
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Racing Metro 32 |
SU Agen 28 |
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Aurillac 13 |
Pau 22 |
Racing Metro ’92 took a massive step
towards automatic promotion to Top 14 after beating
SU Agen 32-28 to open up a 10-point lead at
the head of Pro D2.
The
ambitious Paris club were outscored by three tries to two
but still emerged victors with former All Black fly-half
Andrew Mehrtens kicking 22 of their 32 points.
The
veteran Kiwi landed five first-half penalties as Racing
bounced back from Yoan Huget's fifth-minute try for the
visitors, and he was on the mark again after the interval as
he kicked two conversions and another penalty to ensure the
hosts won out in their delayed round 15 game.
Olivier
Diomandé's
44th-minute try, converted by Mehrtens, looked to have set
Racing free as they opened up a 22-13 advantage soon after
the break, but Huget kept the contest alive when he touched
down for his second score of the game just after the hour
mark.
It was
the first of three tries in seven frantic minutes with South
African full-back Greg Goosen replying for the hosts before
Max Carabignac raced in for Agen's third. Romain Sola,
crucially, missed the conversion, meaning Agen had to either
kick two penalties or score another try in the dying minutes
- both of which options proved beyond them.
So
Racing are now 10 points clear of nearest rivals SCA Albi,
with Agen a further three points back in third spot after
they climbed above La Rochelle on points difference.
Pro D2 table
The only
other match this weekend saw former leaders Aurillac
lose their eighth successive league match as they went down
13-22 at home to Pau.
South
African Andre Hough kicked two early penalties to put Pau
6-0 ahead, but Aurillac responded with Graydon Staniforth's
18th-minute try, converted by Hercules Kruger, as they
squeezed into a narrow 7-6 lead.
Hough's third successful penalty edged Pau
back ahead going into half-time, only for Kruger to respond
in kind for the hosts as the momentum swung back and forth
in a nervy encounter.
But then
came the game's decisive spell, with Pau rattling up a
match-winning 10 points in just three minutes courtesy of
yet another Hough penalty, quickly followed by Grégory
Puyo's 55th-minute try.
Hough,
inevitably, landed the conversion to take the visitors 19-10
clear - a decisive advantage in a cat and mouse match which
had been hard to call up to then.
Kruger
and Hough both had time to land one more penalty apiece as
Pau secured the win which lifted them to within two points
of third-placed Agen.
Aurillac, meanwhile, were left contemplating an eighth
successive defeat as their once-promising season continues
to fall apart.
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