ProD2 round-six: Racing Metro ’92 regain the lead
20 October 2008
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Lyon OR 19 |
Aurillac 13 |
|
FC Auch Gers 15 |
Grenoble 9 |
|
Racing Metro 37 |
Beziers 9 |
|
Tarbes 25 |
Colomiers 10 |
|
Oyonnax 16 |
Pau 3 |
|
SCA Albi 29 |
La Rochelle 22 |
|
RC Narbonne 26 |
Union Bordeaux-Begles 17 |
|
SU Agen 62 |
Bourg-en-Bresse 9 |
Racing Metro ’92 usurped SCA Albi to head Pro D2
thanks to their 37-9 bonus-point win against
struggling Beziers.
Pierre Berbizier’s side ran in four
tries, including three in a 15 minute purple patch
after the interval, as they overwhelmed their
visitors and re-established their promotion
credentials.
Tongan wing Mani Vakaola scored twice, with
Jean-Frederic Dubois and Jonathan Wisniewski
grabbing the other tries. Wisniewski also kicked
three conversions and two penalties to lift his
personal tally to 17 points on a good afternoon for
the capital’s second club.
Although they are now level on points with Albi, who
beat third-placed La Rochelle 29-22, they moved
above the pre-weekend leaders by dint of their
superior points advantage (+56 compared to +28).
Albi’s win owed much to a second-half comeback that
saw them rally from 16-9 down, and was capped by New
Zealander John Stewart’s converted try three minutes
from the end.
Kevin Boulogne gave the hosts an early lead with his
third-minute penalty but La Rochelle stormed back
courtesy of a Vincent Roux try, two penalties and a
conversion from Benjamin Dambielle, and a
20th-minute drop goal from Remy Tales.
That gave the visitors a 16-3 lead midway through
the first half, an advantage Boulogne cut by six
thanks to a brace of Boulogne penalties before the
interval.
Fijian centre Saul Rapide continued the comeback
with a try nine minutes after the restart, with
Boulogne adding the conversion and two more
penalties before Stewart’s telling late score.
La Rochelle stay third, thanks to their losing bonus
point, just ahead of Aurillac, who also lost ground
on the leaders when a late try by Xavier Sardourny
condemned them to a 19-13 defeat away to Lyon OR.
The visitors looked set for the win after Graydon
Staniforth’s 77th-minute drop goal gave them a 13-12
lead – building on Delkeith Pottas’ first-half try -
only for Sardourny to touch down a minute later,
with Jeandre Fourie adding the conversion to his
four earlier penalties.
Pierre-Yves Montagnat kicked 11 points as Oyonnax
beat Pau 16-3 at home to climb to seventh in the
table.
Bertrand Guilloux scored the game’s only try, in the
27th minute, with Pau’s sole response being Decon’s
38th-minute penalty.
SU Agen are also on the move, up four places to
eighth after their 62-9 demolition of bottom club
Bourg-en-Bresse. The home side ran in 10 tries, five
in each half, as Bourg were put to the sword by
Agen.
Tongan back row Opeti Fonua and South African lock
Adri Badenhorst both scored twice, and there were
also tries for Michel Denetre, Jean Monribot, Cyril
Chavet, Yoann Huget, Romain Sola and Russian lock
Andrei Ostrikov.
Frederic Couzier was the toast of FC Auch Gers after
their 15-9 home win against Grenoble. His five
penalty kicks, including two in the last 10 minutes,
ensured the hosts registered their third win of the
campaign, lifting them from 11th to ninth in the
process.
Tarbes registered only their second
win of the campaign as they beat Colomiers 25-10, a
scoreline that flattered the visitors thanks to
Sebastien Busato’s late try.
Up until then it had been all Tarbes with Richard
Apanui sending them on their way with his
22nd-minute opening drop goal.
Kiwi prop Albert Toetu added the home side’s only
try five minutes later, with Apanui kicking the
conversion and two penalties as Tarbes opened up a
16-0 half-time advantage.
English full back Rory Teague added two further
penalties, together with another from Apanui, before
Busato’s 76th-minute try gave Colomiers some late
consolation.
RC Narbonne finally got their first win of the
season, at the sixth time of asking, thanks to their
26-17 home victory against Union Bordeaux-Begles.
Both sides two tries apiece in an entertaining game,
but Christophe Ruiz kicked 16 points to make the
difference.
The home side opened the scoring when Fabien
Grammatico touched down for a second-minute try,
with Ruiz adding the conversion, two penalties and a
drop-goal as they opened up a 16-3 advantage.
Henri-Pierre Vermes then scored for Bordeaux shortly
before the half-hour, only for R Martial to reply in
kind for the hosts four minutes later as they went
in 23-9 ahead at the interval.
Julien Gaultier scored and converted his own try
reduce the deficit on the hour, but it wasn’t enough
as Narbonne held on to claim their first win.
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