|
Bourg-en-Gesse 22 |
Tarbes 16 |
|
Stade Rochelais 18
|
Pau 14 |
|
Beziers 22 |
Auch 19 |
|
Grenoble 10 |
Racing Metro ’92 16 |
|
Aurillac 30 |
Oyonnax 26 |
|
Lyon OR 15 |
Albi 22 |
|
SU Agen 14 |
Union Bordeaux-Begles
17 |
|
Colomiers 15 |
Narbonne 15 |
Relegated Albi are showing signs of overcoming
demotion from Top 14 and the loss of a host of
players after their 22-15 win at Lyon OR lifted them
top of the pile after five rounds in Pro D2.
The aftershocks of relegation due to financial
irregularities looked initially to be weighing Albi
down as they lost their opening match 11-6 at
Aurillac, but Eric Bechu’s squad have bounced back
with four successive victories and now head the
promotion-chasing pack.
Their weekend win at Lyon was secured by first-half
tries from Benjamin Lapeyre, Kevin Boulogne and
Pierre Saby, with Boulogne adding two conversions
and a late penalty to seal the win.
Lyon failed the cross the line all match and were
indebted to the combined kicking efforts of Xavier
Sardourny (drop-goal), Peclier (three pens) and
Jeandre Fourie (one pen) for their points.
Albi took over top spot from Grenoble, who went down
10-16 at home to an Andrew Mehrtens inspired
Racing-Metro ’92. The veteran Kiwi fly-half scored
two penalties and converted Fijian wing Sireli
Bobo’s 30th-minute try as the former leaders were
dethroned. The win lifted Racing above Grenoble
into second position, with the latter slipping to
fifth.
Third-placed La Rochelle were indebted to a
77th-minute try from replacement Guillaume Devade as
they overcame Pau 18-14 in a tight contest at Stade
Marcel Deflandre.
Pau had led for much of a seesaw match thanks to
Clement Fromont’s first-half try and successful
kicks from Clement Darbo (pen), Iulian Dumitras
(drop-goals) and Drescan (pen).
But Rochelle stayed in touch courtesy of Sebastien
Boboul’s brace of penalties and Vincent Roux’s early
score in the second half.
South African scrum-half Delkeith Pottas kicked 15
points as Aurillac bounced back to winning form –
and from an early 0-10 deficit - with a 30-26 home
victory against Oyonnax.
Fijians Dan Baleinadogo and Fero
Lasagavibau also got on the score sheet, grabbing a
try each in the first half after full-back Pierre
Yves Montagnat – who scored 21 of Oyannax’s points –
had given the visitors an early lead with his own
converted try after 20 minutes.
Aurillac are now the last of three teams tied on 17
points, just a point behind leaders Albi.
At the other end of the table Bourg-en-Gesse are
still bottom despite beating Tarbes 22-16 to
register their first win of the campaign.
The match looked to be taking a familiar pattern
when Paul Dabrin touched down for Tarbes after just
13 minutes, but the home side responded with a try
of their own from Samoan Garrick Cowley, before
surging ahead through the kicking of Nicolas
Manguelin (14 points).
Bourg are now level with two other teams – Beziers
and RC Narbonne - on six points.
Beziers, like Bourg, scored their maiden win of the
season, but only by the skin of their teeth after a
78th-minute try from hooker Brice Miguel secured
them a 22-19 success at home to Auch.
Up until then Thomas Pochelu’s five penalties had
kept the home side in touch, with Frederic Couzier
(12 points) also in good form for the visitors. But
the match looked Auch’s for the taking after S
Bortolucci’s 67th-minute try lifted them seven
points clear, only for Beziers to storm back to take
the honours with a penalty, a try and a conversion
in the last seven minutes.
In the other two matches tries from Adam Jaulhac and
Tongan Saia Fekitoa ensured Union won away to SU
Agen 17-14, while Colomiers and Narbonne drew 15-15
in a try-less contest thanks Frederic Pujol’s 76th
minute penalty for the home side.
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