Pro D2, round 8: La Rochelle usurp Racing on a bad weekend for the capital’s clubs

03 November 2008

La Rochelle are the new leaders of ProD2 after a thumping 56-18 home win against basement club Bourg-en-Bresse on Saturday.

The hosts initially struggled to break free and were only 11-8 up at half-time before a seven-try blitz lifted them clear after the interval.

Bourg’s Alexandre Ducrozet actually opened the scoring when he went over in the 11th minute, but Damien Neveu replied for La Rochelle, with Remy Tales’ two penalties ensuring the half-time lead.

But it was one-way traffic thereafter, with the new leaders cutting free thanks to tries from Yann Fior, Florian Ninard, Thomas Soucaze, Jonathan Garcia, Peter Durcan, Sebastien Boboul and Kevin Burgaud.

Romain Lacoste added five conversions to complete the scoring, before Bourg’s Florian Napoli got a last-minute try to reduce the arrears.

The bonus point victory means La Rochelle climbed a point clear of Racing Metro ’92, who struggled to a 9-8 home win against Colomiers on Sunday.

Jonathan Wisniewski’s three penalties proved sufficient to see off a spirited Colomiers, for whom Julien Tourtoulou scored the game’s only try in the 15th minute. The visitors’ cause wasn’t helped by yellow cards for both Romain Memain and Guillaume Bortolaso.

Coach Pierre Berbizier was happy enough to scrape the win but the result capped a disappointing weekend for Paris clubs, with both Stade Francais and Racing ceding their leads in Top 14 and ProD2 respectively.

Aurillac remain in third but are now level on points with Racing after their 31-9 home win against RC Narbonne.

Fijian wing Fero Lasagavibau scored twice in the first half, with Australian Graydon Staniforth adding a third try after the interval. South African Delkeith Pottas completed the scoring with two conversions and four penalties as Aurillac racked up their sixth win in eight games, leaving them just a point behind leaders La Rochelle.

The tightest match of the weekend saw fifth-placed Oyonnax entertain fourth-placed Albi, with the home side coming back from a 6-13 interval deficit to claim a share of the points in a 16-16 draw.

Benjamin Lapeyre was the Albi star, adding three penalties and a conversion to his fifth-minute try, while Oyonnax hooker Salim Tebani got the home team’s only try early in the second half. Pierre Yves Montagnat added the conversion and two penalties, while Sebastien Bouillot kicked a drop goal.

Grenoble stay sixth despite their 18-12 defeat away to SU Agen, for whom Opeti Fonua got on the score sheet again, while Lyon OR had a narrow 12-10 home win against struggling Beziers thanks to three penalties and a drop-goal from South African Jeandre Fourie.

English fly-half Rory Teague continued his excellent kicking form by scoring 25 points in Tarbes’ 31-15 home victory over Union Bordeaux-Begles.

The former Gloucester and Bristol player kicked six penalties, two drop-goals and a conversion as Tarbes clocked only their third win of the campaign. Winger Paul Dabrin grabbed the game’s only try early in the second-half.

Up until then it had been an even encounter with Thibault Duvallet’s boot keeping Union on level terms (12-12) up to the interval. But the visitors could only add one more penalty in the second half as Tarbes eased clear.

In the weekend’s other match Auch had just enough to see off visitors Pau 17-12 thanks to a first-half try from Fijian wing Viliame Maya and four penalty kicks. Sebastien Descons kicked four penalties in return for Pau, but this latest defeat (their fourth) saw them drop two places to 13th. 
 

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