ProD2 round 24: Pau and Oyonnax slip up as Lyon OU push on for a play-off berth

22 March 2009

Two surprise defeats (for Pau and Oyonnax) shook up the fight for play-off places in ProD2 this weekend, with La Rochelle and Lyon OU the biggest beneficiaries as the season draws to a nail-biting climax.

La Rochelle climbed from sixth to fourth on the back of their 33-19 home win against Aurillac, while Lyon emerged as play-off contenders following Pau’s first home defeat of the season – 22-27 by mid-table Union Bordeaux-Begles – and Oyonnax’s 15-12 loss at FC Auch Gers.

Lyon stay in seventh position, but they are now just three points behind Oyonnax and Pau, who are tied on 65 points.

Although promotion remains unlikely, Lyon’s latest win still raises the outside possibility of the Saint-Andre brothers both coaching in Top 14 next season – with Philippe at Toulon and sibling Raphael at Lyon.

ProD2 Table

Lyon’s 45-6 home trouncing of Grenoble on Sunday saw them run in six unanswered tries, including four in a wind-assisted second half, as they recorded their third straight victory.

The star of their show was hat-trick hero Rémy Grosso, who crossed for tries in the 40^th, 71^st and 77^th minutes – bringing the French winger’s season tally to six in 12 games.

Lionel Mallier opened the scoring when he went over in the seventh minute, and there were further home tries from Ariel Castellina and Xavier Sadourny. Romain Loursac and Alexandre Péclier added three conversions apiece, with the former also landing a first-half penalty.

Grenoble’s only response came through two first-half kicks from Pierre-Alexandre Dut.

Pau’s defeat was even more of a surprise as they crashed to their first home reverse of the season at the Stade du Hameau, just when they most needed another victory.

Anthony Elliott got the scoreboard ticking for Union when he crossed for a 17^th-minute try – converted by Raphael Lagarde – but Pau bounced back immediately when Mickael Drouard went over just three minutes later, with Andre Hough converting to level the scores.

The South African fly-half then edged Pau ahead with a 25^th-minute penalty, before Henri-Pierre Vermis touched down for Union’s second try before the interval. Lagarde again converted to give the visitors a 14-10 half-time lead, and was on target once more when Thibault Duvallet crushed the home side’s hopes with Union’s third try after 51 minutes.

A 59^th-minute drop-goal extended Union’s lead further to 24-13 but Pau battled back through another pair of Hough penalties as they closed to gap to five points and set up a frantic finale.

Lagarde’s 80^th-minute penalty finally ended their comeback hopes, although Hough’s injury time response did earn the home side what could be a crucial losing bonus point.

Union’s win – only their third on their travels this season – must have been particularly pleasing for backs coach Patrick Laporte, who announced that he will be retiring at the end of the season.

The club has confirmed that he will be replaced by former player Etcheto Vincent, 39, who is currently with Federale 1 club Boucau Tarnos.

Oyonnax, meanwhile, slipped to a costly 15-12 defeat at financially troubled Auch.

Frédéric Couzier gave Auch the perfect fillip after another testing week, kicking all 15 of the home side’s points via five penalties. Sylver Tian ensured there was half-time parity with his own penalty trio, but the visitors could only manage a Bertrand Guilloux drop-goal after the interval in a tight and nerve-laden match.

The visitors’ defeat was their fourth in six games – a disappointing run that is threatening to unhinge their play-off hopes as the season draws to its climax.

Leaders Racing Metro ’92 are having no such worries after they overcame Tarbes 25-16 for their eighth successive win, although they were made to fight by a spirited and defiant performance from their visitors.

Scottish centre Martin Worthington scored the game’s opening try when he went over in the 12^th minute for Tarbes, with Richard Apanui adding the conversion and two subsequent penalties as they surged into a 13-3 lead shortly before half-time.

But the ever-reliable boot of former All Black Andrew Mehrtens came to Racing’s rescue, with the Kiwi fly-half gradually hauling the hosts back into the lead via a match-haul of 20 points that featured five penalties, a drop-goal and a conversion.

The latter came after the game’s decisive score, a 61^st-minute penalty try which finally saw the home side edge ahead.

SCA Albi may be 14 points back but they are looking solid in second place, although they too were made to work hard for their latest win – a 37-31 away triumph at lowly Colomiers.

Saula Radidi sent them on their way with a ninth-minute try, and lock Paul Guffroy continued his recent good form when he crossed for their second 13 minutes before the interval. Both were converted by Kiwi Blair Stewart, who also kicked three first-half penalties for good measure.

Corey Niwa landed three penalties of his own to keep the hosts in contention, and Colomiers’ hopes rose further when Fijian wing Malakai Bakaniceva went over for their only try just seven minutes after the restart. Niwa converted to land the extra two points, and when he kicked a further penalty shortly after the home side had fought back to just 26-22 down.

Stewart’s fifth successful penalty eased Albi seven points clear in the 57^th minute, but Niwa replied with two more of his own to narrow the gap further to a solitary point with just 14 minutes left to play.

But just when an upset looked on the cards Yohann Misse claimed Albi’s third try of the afternoon with what turned out to be the game’s decisive score. Stewart added yet another penalty three minutes from time – taking his game tally to 22 points – but Niwa then landed his sixth right on the final whistle to ensure the hosts at least had the satisfaction of taking a defensive bonus point.

Third-placed SU Agen continued their own play-off push with a convincing 51-16 home win against Béziers.

The division’s top scorers ran in six tries, with 21-year-old Fijian winger Saimone Vaka leading the rout as he grabbed a hat-trick. Jerome Miquel, Luc Lafforgue and Romain Edmond-Samuel scored Agen’s other tries, with Miquel landing six out of six conversions in addition to three penalties – for a match haul of 26 points. And all this after Béziers had the temerity to take the lead through Vincent Barrier’s fifth-minute try.

Agen’s win, coupled with the defeats for Pau and Oyonnax, enabled them to open up a five-point gap on their nearest challengers – who are now La Rochelle following their 36-19 home win against Aurillac.

Nineteen-year-old winger Maxime Lebourhis followed up last week’s four-try display against Bourg by opening the home side’s account after 13 minutes on Saturday. Baptiste Sapparart converted and added four first-half penalties to put La Rochelle 19-13 clear, with Aurillac at least keeping in touch thanks to Féro Lasagavibau’s try – his ninth of the season.

The hosts went further ahead shortly after the restart thanks to a penalty try, and German lock Robert Mohr completed their scoring when he touched down for their third try in the dying minutes.

Basement club Bourg-en-Bresse won for only the fourth time this season as they beat RC Narbonne 24-16 to close the gap on 15^th-placed Béziers to just one point.

The home side took control when Nic Fitsemanu went over for the game’s opening try four minutes before half time, and they eased further ahead after Mathieu Chabaud touched down on the hour mark.

Clint Eadie’s conversion and two penalties lifted them 18-9 clear, and Chabaud went on to add his own penalty and a drop-goal before Romain Martial’s late try – converted by Robin Janisson – reduced the deficit.

But Bourg were good value for their win – their first in five games – and while relegation remains virtually certain they will be keen to avoid the wooden spoon as they fight it out with Béziers over the closing weeks.

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