Pro 2 Day 15

[Tony Manx]

Significant set of matches this week as it is the final Pro 2 matches of 2014 and also the half way point of the 30 match season season. The clubs take a break through the Christmas period before resuming on the weekend of 9/10th January....time to let the bruises ease, the tired bodies recover and for a few drinks with the shellfish on Christmas Eve and a drink or two on New year's Eve!

MdM (5th place) have their local rivals, Dax (14th), as their guests tonight in what should be a close encounter as both have won just two of their last five games but I think MdM will win this one.

15th placed team Bourgoin meet the "Battlers of the Basque Country" - Biarritz (who are in a magnificent 2nd place to the delight and huge surprise of the writer!!!). If the Biarritz boys can leave their boxing gloves behind and concentrate on the game, they may well continue their winning streak and extend it to 7 games in a row!! It would appear that the Pro2 opposition are hell bent on provoking the peace loving Basques as fights have broken out in BO's three recent matches (against Colomier, Agen and Narbonne).

Agen (10th) take on Massy (13th). Agen have won four out of six home games this season and Massy are yet to win one on the road so I will go with the easier prediction of a home win!!!

Carcassonne (11th) who started the season so well but have now lost four of their last five games have the difficult task of hosting the leaders, Pau and cannont see them improving their home record in this one!!

Match of the round could at Colomiers (7th) where Albi (6th) are the visitors. Colomiers are five out of six at home and. although Albi are only two out of seveon on the road, believe they will fight very hard to maintain their position in the league. Close enough to be a draw perhaps.

Local derby down in Perpignan (3rd) where Narbonne will be hardly out of breath from their travelling even if they walked! USAP are unbeaten at home whereas Narbonne have only won one of their away games this season so hard to see them challenging the home record!!

Tarbes (12th) take on Aurillac (4th) and can do Biarritz a favour by whooping them and allowing BO to increase their points difference but cannot see it!!

8th and 9th do batttle when Montauban host Beziers and I feel a home win is very much the favourite with Beziers having lost their last four games in a row and six our of seven on the road.

v

Mont-de-Marsan - US Dax
Friday, 19th December 2014 @ 19.00​

​

v

SU Agen - Massy​

Saturday 20th December @ 18:30

​

v

Bourgoin - Biarritz Olympique​

Saturday 20th December @ 18:30 ​

​

​

v

Carcassonne - Section Paloise​

Saturday 20th December @ 18:30

​

v

Colomiers - Albi​

Sunday 21st December 2014 @ 15.00

​

v

Montauban - Béziers​

Sunday 21st December 2014 @ 15.05

​

v

Perpignan - Narbonne​

Sunday 21st December 2014 @ 15.00

​

v

Tarbes - Stade Aurillacois ​

Sunday 21st December 2014 @ 15.00

​

​

​

 

[Tony Manx]

Got the result right but does not look to close to me!!

16 - 3

​

 

[usap dessie]

Tony , your boys are on fire and Pau are in free fall ......things are getting interesting !!!!

 

[Tony Manx]

Thanks Desssie....USAP are not far behind us and one thinks that the right teams are now in the top 3 positions....although, if we can get rid of Pau, it would be better!!

I am not sure what the points difference between BO and the other two was in Round 8 but think that BO may well have pulled back best part of 20 points over Pau and USAP which is actually some performance!!

The winter break is now here and I wish all readers a very Happy Christmas and healthy New year from the Pro 2!!

[TABLE="class: matches, width: 556"]
<tbody>[TR="class: even match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"]Fri[/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"]19/12/14[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]Stade Montois[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]16 - 3[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]US Dax[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"]Sat[/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"]20/12/14[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a, align: right"]Bourgoin[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]6 - 27[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b strong"]Biarritz[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: even match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]US Carcassonne[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]40 - 27[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]Section Paloise[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]SU Agen[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]34 - 29[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]Massy[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: even match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"]Sun[/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"]21/12/14[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]Tarbes[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]25 - 15[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]Aurillac[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]Perpignan[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]38 - 12[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]RC Narbonne[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: even match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a, align: right"]US Colomiers[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]16 - 17[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b strong"]SC Albigeois[/TD]
[TD="class: events-button button"][/TD]
[TD="class: info-button button"][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: odd match no-date-repetition"]
[TD="class: day no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: date no-repetition"][/TD]
[TD="class: team team-a strong, align: right"]Montauban[/TD]
[TD="class: score-time score"]26 - 15[/TD]
[TD="class: team team-b"]AS Béziers[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]


[TABLE="width: 704"]
<tbody>[TR]
[TH="class: team-***le, colspan: 2"]TEAMS[/TH]
[TH="class: pts-***le, align: center"]PTS[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile, align: center"]J[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile, align: center"]G[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile, align: center"]N[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile, align: center"]P[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile up, align: center"]P[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile up, align: center"]C[/TH]
[TH="class: nonmobile, align: center"]+/-[/TH]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Section Paloise[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]49[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]11[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]4[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]360[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]278[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]82[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Biarritz Olympique[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]43[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]331[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]277[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]54[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]3[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Perpignan[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]41[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]368[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]284[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]84[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]4[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Albi[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]40[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]324[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]321[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]3[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Mont-de-Marsan[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]39[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]332[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]277[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]55[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Montauban[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]38[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]322[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]273[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]49[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Aurillacois Stadium[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]36[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]2[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]6[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]283[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]282[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Colomiers[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]35[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]306[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]289[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]17[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]SU Agen[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]34[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]365[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]357[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Carcassonne[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]32[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]369[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]359[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]10[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]11[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Béziers[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]31[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]298[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]297[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]1[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]12[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Tarbes[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]31[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]7[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]8[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]333[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]403[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]-70[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]13[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Massy[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]26[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]327[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]370[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]-43[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]14[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]US Dax[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]22[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]252[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]332[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]-80[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Bourgoin[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]1[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]9[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]292[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]359[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]-67[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="class: position, align: right"]16[/TD]
[TD="class: team-name"]Narbonne[/TD]
[TD="class: pts, align: center"]21[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]15[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]5[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]0[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]10[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]269[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]373[/TD]
[TD="class: nonmobile, align: center"]-104[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

 

[Big Ewis]

Bloody Olympique are second already ?! dang, that didn't take too long ! Happy for you Tony, you stubb...I mean loyal fan, you ! So I reckon you must've checked out a few matches since the season started...how is the level ? Would you say there's perhaps more commitment on a regular basis there compared to Top 14 where there are "lazy" teams who rest on their Laurel and Hardies ? Would you say it's basically like some of the less prestigious top of table Top 14 sides, à la Brive in style ?

 

[Tony Manx]

Bloody Olympique are second already ?! dang, that didn't take too long ! Happy for you Tony, you stubb...I mean loyal fan, you ! So I reckon you must've checked out a few matches since the season started...how is the level ? Would you say there's perhaps more commitment on a regular basis there compared to Top 14 where there are "lazy" teams who rest on their Laurel and Hardies ? Would you say it's basically like some of the less prestigious top of table Top 14 sides, à la Brive in style ?

Hard to answer as not seen enough but cannot but think it is far stronger in the physical sense than technical. Certainly BO have stood their corner and is a reason for their improved record recently. However, IF we are promoted a lot more skill will be needed to retain Top 14 status!!

BO have certainly rested key players for away games a la Top 14 sides although players retiring from injury could account for some of that.

The other thing is look at the budgets that the top 3 sides have had available to them compared to most others.

Finally, maybe, just maybe, BO are being coached by the coach as opposed to Blanco allowing the dressing room to control. I do wish we had Milhas still instead of August though!!!