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It’s been a hot minute, but after an extended and thoroughly well-deserved three-week break, Pro D2 is back and about to enter its home straight. Seven rounds remain in one of the most intriguing seasons in recent years, starting on Thursday night where Provence host Colomiers, live on FR-UK Rugby YouTube in the UK & Ireland.
Kudos to the schedulers who seem to have got this one spot on for the return of league frivolities. Colomiers sit two points ahead of their hosts Provence, who themselves are 8 points ahead of fourth-placed Oyonnax. A lot can happen in 7 rounds of Pro D2, but this match feels enormous in what is surely a two-horse race for a home semi-final.
Provence feel like a side that have been building for a proper tilt at the Top 14, although they will know more than most the dangers of getting ahead of themselves at this time of the season. Fourth last year, they lost out to Grenoble in a memorable semi-final, having finished top of the pile the season before only to be pipped at home, again by the men from Les Alpes.
Their home ground, the Stade Maurice-David, has been no stranger to higher-level rugby in its short history. It was the host of a Covid-ravaged Challenge Cup Final between Bristol and Toulon in 2020, and also served as the base for the All Blacks in their ill-fated 2007 World Cup campaign.
The squad itself, ‘on paper’ to use that ill-fated phrase, has everything to get out of the league, and potentially even successfully bridge the notorious gap between the two divisions. Under Philippe Saint-André, the hope is those brushes with the big time become the norm.
Provence’s home form has been strong without being flawless. Their shock home defeat in round 2 to Valence-Romans had largely been forgotten, but a second loss to Agen in round 22 came after victory by a single point over Oyonnax, and suggests a textbook home win is far from an absolute given.
Their opponents Colomiers, given their position in the league, have been shakier still on their own patch particularly against the current top 6, losing last time out convincingly to a resurgent Brive, to add to home defeats to Vannes, Provence and a single point victory also against Oyonnax.
Their away form however continues to be red-hot; their 7 from 11 victories away from the Stade Michel-Bendichou are bettered only by breakaway leaders Vannes. They’re not a side any team would want visiting their patch this season, and arrive in the South of France looking at full strength.
The absences of Nicolas Martins and Rodrigo Marta aside, Colomiers bring arguably their first-choice 23. In the pack, Jean Thomas and Thomas Adélaïde represent one of the best second-row pairings in the league, and the back row is fully stocked with Caleb Timu flanked by Grégoire Bazin and Luka Plataret.
If Plataret has been Colomiers' standout forward this season, then the premier back has been Ray Nu’u. Nu’u has been the league’s leading centre, a mantle that has in recent years been held by Provence’s Inga Finau. Matchups can be overplayed, but Finau’s absence here is both a big loss to the home side and denies viewers a stellar battle between two Kiwi 12s.
Provence do have some other notable absentees. There’s no Teimana Harrison, George North, Kapeli Pifeleti or captain Andrés Zafra, whilst Guillaume Piazzoli will see no further rugby this year due to an extended ban.
There is still strength in abundance, not least in the pack with Izack Rodda the obvious big name. The back row head-to-head between Albert Tuisue and Georgian Tornike Jalagonia with Plataret and Timu looks delicious. The last of that loose forward trio, Noa Zinzen, is one of a number of Top 14 loanees boosting two already excellent squads.
Last season, Zinzen captained a Racing 92 side containing Owen Farrell and Gaël Fickou in only his 4th professional appearance, and big things are expected both in Provence for the remainder of the season, and in the capital. There’s a distinctly Toulousain flavour elsewhere with Valentin Delpy starting at fly-half for the visitors, and Malachi Hawkes back at tighthead for Provence having appeared at hooker for Toulouse this year.
There is further Top 14 interest on the benches. The replacement looseheads are Lino Julien, also of Racing 92 for Provence, and Alexandre Etchebehere, who at the age of 21 has already made 6 appearances for Pau this year, and will make his Colomiers debut from the bench. Raphaël Portat, who has played twice for Toulouse this season, is in the number 18 jersey for the home side.
Strong winds are forecast in Aix-en-Provence, which may be the only thing to derail this from being an absolute classic. Two outstanding sides, big points to prove, and a potentially hugely consequential result for the victors. After a prolonged absence, Pro D2 is very much back.
Best of the Rest
Carcassonne host Mont-de-Marsan in a huge relegation match, with a victory an absolute must for the home side, who could be cut 9 points adrift from the access match spot depending on how other results go. For Mont-de-Marsan, with trips to Provence, Colomiers and Grenoble to come, it represents their best chance of an away win in the season run-in.
Fifth-placed Valence-Romans host fourth-placed Oyonnax as part of their home run-in, which includes facing all of the top 6 at the Stade Georges-Pompidou, whilst the visitors will be desperate to get over the line away from home against another barrage hopeful, having come so close this season.
Elsewhere, Grenoble will be hoping to keep their increasingly faint hopes of a barrage spot alive away to Dax, who are unbeaten since October at home.
Pro D2 continues this Thursday (26th March) with Provence v Colomiers, available to UK & Ireland viewers for free via FRUK Rugby on YouTube.