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Two league heavyweights who have endured mixed seasons slug it out in the foothills of the Alps on Saturday night, in another Pro D2 showpiece shifted to primetime weekend viewing.
Last year’s top two have had fairly forgettable campaigns. Brive sit in the final Barrage place in 6th but are far from clear of the chasing pack and have not won away from home since their trip to Dax back in September. Arresting that away decline on Saturday could open up a potential 17-point gap over their hosts, a margin that may prove terminal to Grenoble’s play-off aspirations.
For Grenoble, beset by injuries throughout the season, a home defeat here would almost certainly make the task of reaching the play-offs insurmountable, even with nine rounds remaining. They are likely to be without their Portuguese contingent of José Madeira and Cody Thomas, although Raffaele Costa Storti did feature against Béziers last week.
Sam Davies’ absence throughout the season has been most acutely felt, but in recent weeks that void has opened the door for 19-year-old Maël Navizet, a highly talented fly-half originally from the Chartreuse Rugby Club. A potential third successive start here against the league’s highest-budget team, in a fixture of this magnitude, would represent his biggest challenge to date.
A nine-point deduction for Dax was finally confirmed last week by the FFR, in addition to the five meted out at the start of the season that has threatened their Pro D2 status. That, in spite of the deduction, the Landes side do not occupy the relegation places - and have won more games this season than Grenoble, Béziers and Biarritz - speaks volumes about the quality and cohesion of their relatively small squad.
Their success this season has been built on superb home form at the Stade Maurice-Boyau, but for this fixture they will switch to Bayonne’s Stade Jean-Dauger. Supporters of Aviron Bayonnais might be hoping Dax bring a little hometown fortune back to a ground where a 21-game league winning run has been torched by successive Top 14 defeats, precipitating the departure of Grégory Patat.
Dax look typically robust, with 23-stone Nephi Leatigaga starting at tighthead, while former Harlequin Charlie Matthews lines up in the second row, having been outstanding since his move from Biarritz. Romauld Séguy is preferred to Hugo Cerisier at fly-half, with Fijian centre Jale Vatubua an ever-present threat outside him.
Provence have looked imperious of late and will aim to extend a five-game winning streak in the Basque Country, consolidating their push for a home semi-final. Raphaël Portat remains with Provence despite international call-ups from his parent club Toulouse and starts in the back row. Former Toulousain Setareki Bituniyata has been lethal since switching to centre and starts at 13, outside Pierre Lucas, who has not lost in a Provence shirt since October.
Carcassonne cannot be accused of underselling the stature of their Friday night fixture with Nevers. A Game of Thrones-inspired, bizarre AI-generated visual has been drumming up social media likes and, hopefully, ticket sales for the Stade Albert-Domec as the home side aim to “Défendre Notre Cité”.
The league’s bottom side need a win to close the gap on 15th-placed Mont-de-Marsan and have selected a side more than capable of doing so. Jonny McPhillips returns at fly-half, having understandably sat out last week’s mammoth trip to Vannes, and forms a vastly experienced half-back partnership with Tanale Takalua upon which much of their survival hopes will rest.
‘Carca’s’ performances have improved significantly in recent weeks, even if results have not quite followed. Frank Bradshaw Ryan has been excellent, operating mainly in the back row since his move from Montauban, as has young Bilal Fadli, who has become a mainstay this season after featuring only sporadically in third-tier Nationale.
If there were a side to face right now in Pro D2, it would probably be Nevers. Without a win in five and having mustered just a solitary point away from home all season, they will be desperate to get something from their trip south to halt their slide. Northampton and Leinster supporters will recognise the names George Smith and Liam Turner, who start in the second row and centres respectively.
League leaders Vannes will be looking to make it seven away wins when they travel to Biarritz, while Colomiers will aim to close the gap on the top two as they host a Béziers side still without an away win this season. Second-bottom Mont-de-Marsan have shown improved performances of late but face a stiff task away to Oyonnax, and not just because of the near 1,000-mile round trip.
Agen remain within touching distance of the Barrage places in 7th and will fancy their chances at home to Valence-Romans. The hosts welcome back talismanic Tomasi Fineanganofo after six weeks out injured.
Live Pro D2 continues next Thursday (26 February) with Soyaux-Angoulême v Valence-Romans, available free to UK & Ireland viewers via FR-UK Rugby on YouTube.