Advertisement
The opener for the eighth round of Pro D2 takes us southeast to the Stade Georges Pompidou, where Agen travel to Valence in an intriguing battle of third versus fourth: a fallen giant with eight French titles against one of the league’s emerging upstarts.
In recent times, few would have predicted this as a near top-of-the-table clash. Agen entered the season following their worst campaign since relegation from the Top 14 in 2021, narrowly avoiding the unthinkable - an Access Match to third-tier Nationale - only a few months ago. For Valence, despite last season’s eighth-place finish being their best return in Pro D2, they remain in only their third season back in the league and still operate on one of its smaller budgets.
It’s hard to argue that either side doesn’t deserve their early-season plaudits, though. Mauricio Reggiardo was brought back to lead the famous Garonne club after last season’s horror show, which saw a player-led ousting of former France U20s coach Sébastien Calvet. So far, so good: Agen have notched five wins from seven, including an emphatic home display against Grenoble, a win on the road at Carcassonne, and a hammering of big-budget Brive last week.
The void left by Billy Searle’s departure to Leicester Tigers has been masterfully filled by Craig Willis, arriving from Ealing Trailfinders. Alongside fellow Englishman Jack Maunder, Willis has been integral to an increasingly expansive game plan that has allowed the power of Kolinio Ramoka and the pace of wingers Lucas Martins and Iban Etcheverry to thrive. Not that Agen are shirking the rough stuff either, with the performances of Tomaso Fineanganofo at number 8 in particular suggesting his future lies in the Top 14.
For Thursday’s clash, Agen have rotated and so Fineanganofo is replaced by fellow Tongan Taniel Matakaiongo, and Willis is on the bench to cover Gautier Lavie, who makes his debut. Beau Farrance, the young English tighthead who kindly gave us a tour of Agen last month, makes his first appearance from the bench after a long lay off with a neck injury.
Valence-Romans are unbeaten at home, but it’s their away performances that have been most impressive. They come into this week on the back of an away win over Béziers and produced the shock of the season in Round 2, downing a full-strength Provence at fortress Stade Maurice-David. Up front, former Western Force man Ryan McCauley runs an outstanding lineout and Louis Suaud has impressed since signing from Nice. In the backs, they boast Welsh international Owen Lane out wide and the superb playmaking Portuguese fullback Joris Moura. All of them start in a strong-looking Valence side on Thursday evening.
For ‘Les Damiers’, (the checkerboards) with two former fly-halves at the helm in manager Fabien Fortassin and new sporting director Jonathan Wisniewski, it’s perhaps no surprise that their main man wears the No.10 shirt. Lucas Méret kicked an astonishing 332 points last season in Pro D2 and, despite being the lynchpin in a side that isn’t shy to throw the ball around, it’s his cool head off the kicking tee that remains one of their trump cards.
To whet the appetite further, the last meeting between these two sides in February was an explosive one. Agen prevailed by a single score, with Fortassin apoplectic at the final whistle, publicly bemoaning his side’s treatment from the officials for “missing 100 years of history… French Championship titles… beautiful infrastructure to welcome the referees properly.” Understandably, the LNR took a dim view, and Fortassin’s swift apology suggested he may have let emotions get the better of him.
We got to see Agen’s fantastic stadium last month and, while they may not be the force they once were when Philippe Sella and Abdelatif Benazzi graced the Armandie, their performances are moving in the direction befitting that sublime, ref-friendly infrastructure and storied past.
For Valence-Romans, Fortassin declared at the start of the year that “we want to dream.” It’s too early to tell whether Valence can sustain their excellent start to the season, but if seeking inspiration, they could do worse than look to their head coach. It was Fortassin who led La Rochelle to the Top 14 for the first time in 2014, scoring 376 points in the process. For Fortassin in 2014, read Lucas Méret in 2026? La Rochelle’s opponents in that year’s Pro D2 final? Agen, of course.
For La Rochelle, le reste est de l’histoire. There are signs that this crop of Agen players are gradually feeling less shackled by the weight of their history. For Valence, they are quietly writing their own. In spite of some rotation from the visitors, Thursday night should be a cracker.
Pro D2 Continues this Thursday (23 October) with Valence Romans v Agen, available to UK & Ireland viewers for free via FRUK Rugby on YouTube.
