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The resumption of the second half of the Pro D2 season starts this Thursday night, with Provence hosting Grenoble at the Stade Maurice-David in the beautiful city of Aix-en-Provence.
A brief reminder of where we are heading past the halfway point in the season. League leaders Vannes have looked imperious, hardened by their experiences in the Top 14 last year and surely the most likely to return to the top flight.
Tucked behind are Colomiers and surprise package Valence-Romans, les Damiers’ thrilling rugby sitting them on 47 points with 11 wins, only two fewer than they achieved in the 2024/25 season. Aurillac continue to punch way above their weight in eighth, whilst the league Galácticos and last year’s top two, Grenoble and Brive, trail them in ninth and tenth.
Their struggles pale in comparison to Mont-de-Marsan, who have limped to four wins, whilst their Landes rivals Dax have seen their recent excellent run dashed by a whopping points deduction for previous financial indiscretions.
Add those points penalties to coaching staff upheaval, threats of player strikes and a couple of gloriously old-fashioned punch-ups, and it’s fair to say Pro D2 has ticked pretty much every box to date.
Amidst all of that then, spare a thought for the quiet achiever of the season, Provence, who feel most likely to challenge Vannes for automatic promotion but whose success this year seems to have gone under the radar.
Unambitious sides don’t hire Directors of Sport with the pedigree of Philippe Saint-André, and under the former France main man and Montpellier Top 14 steward, promotion is the expectation.
Provence have long made eye-catching signings, and although household names George North and Teimana Harrison miss out this week, it’s this season’s recruits from a familiar French force that should be kept an eye on.
Stade Toulousain loanees Malachi Hawkes and Raphaël Portat have been sublime when not called back intermittently to win Top 14 games for their parent club. For those not already aware of Australian Hawkes in particular, be on notice. Able to cover tighthead and hooker, he is undoubtedly one of the most exciting prospects in French rugby right now. He starts alongside fellow former Toulouse man Setareki Bituniyata, making a rare appearance at outside centre, whilst Portat is on the bench.
Elsewhere, Provence field a side with enormous potential, despite the absences of North, Harrison, and the totemic centre Inga Finau.
Colombian captain Andrés Zafra has been in superb form, and packs down alongside Wallaby Izack Rodda to form a formidable pairing at lock. Twenty-one-year-old back-rower Charly Gambini seems destined for the Top 14 — with or without Provence — whilst Georgian Test star Tornike Jalagonia will start at eight. To underline squad quality, Provence can call on a pair of international-class front-rowers in Sébastien Taofifénua and Tomas Francis, and will be steered by the Fijian fly-half Caleb Muntz.
For Grenoble, the real story is also at ten. The Isère side have been beset by a brutal run of injuries and were clearly unsettled by the furore surrounding now-departed coach Nicolas Nadau.
Nothing, though, has had a more detrimental impact than the absence of injured Sam Davies this season, and it’s brilliant to see him make his first start of the campaign. The Welsh fly-half has been the most influential player in the league for the past three years, the key difference-maker in driving them to three consecutive — if ultimately unsuccessful — Pro D2 finals and Top 14 access matches.
If France’s Top 14 sides have received criticism of late for widespread rotation away from home, then the same can’t be levelled at Grenoble here. In truth, they don’t have much choice. A loss here could see the gap between the sides stretch to 19 points, and whilst still in touch with the top six, they need to discover some form, and fast.
Outside Davies, Romain Trouilloud and Romain Fusier ensure Grenoble start with their first-choice midfield for the first time this season. In the pack, captain José Madeira reverts to lock for the first time in Grenoble colours this year, allowing Hanru Sirgel to slot in at six alongside stalwart Thibaut Martel. In a difficult season to date, Mathis Baret has been outstanding from the base of the scrum, and his starting over the big-carrying Sirgel at number eight is testament to his growing importance to Grenoble’s hopes in this second half of the campaign.
Grenoble’s victory over Provence in last year’s semi-final was one of the most physical displays seen in recent seasons, and seemed to see them destined for the top tier were it not for Montauban’s miracle. This season, Provence became the first team to beat Grenoble at the Stade des Alpes in the league in nearly two years, prescient of the team’s fortunes since.
It looks a tall order for Grenoble to get anything from this trip, but buoyed by the presence of much of their returning cavalry, here’s hoping for another cracker. For Provence, a side of this quality will be keen to snuff out any signs of a Grenoble resurgence and continue their own ascent to the summit of Pro D2 - and perhaps beyond.
Dax hosting Agen looks the pick, and the Lot-et-Garonne side will fancy a rare away win against a team sitting 15th and weathering a difficult period, having been hit with a 14-point penalty owing to previous financial issues. Rugby-wise, the side with the one of the smallest playing budgets in the league has been in fine form and are four games unbeaten at the Stade Maurice-Boyau, and will expect to hold firm. Colomiers will want to reaffirm their own play-off credentials on the road at Aurillac, but are likely to face a similarly tough task in freezing Cantal conditions at the notoriously difficult Stade Jean-Alric.
Pro D2 continues this Thursday (8 January) with Provence vs Grenoble, available to UK and Ireland viewers for free via FRUK Rugby on YouTube.