A week after his defeat (15-10) on the pitch at Colomiers, the first of the season, the Vannes leader got back on track Friday evening, winning (47-10) at home against Agen, 8th before the encounter. The Agenais experienced an ordeal, playing for more than 50 minutes at 14 against 15, after the exclusion of Zak Farrance in the 27th minute for a huge tie.
This victory, however, took place in two stages for Vannes. After having imposed their strength upwind, with attempts by Leafa (21st), Ortolan (36th), Vilaseca (48th) and Bazin (54th), the Bretons took advantage of evolving in numerical superiority to deploy their game against the Agenais exceeded. Like the superb try scored by Romaric Camou on the hour mark after a quickly played ball sixty meters from the opposing goal. The rest of the meeting allowed the Championship leaders to please their audience by increasing the score even further. With the five points from the improved victory, Vannes regains the margin on its pursuers (43 points in 11 days).
Mont-de-Marsan and Grenoble at the finish
Especially since two of them faced each other this Friday evening. The shock of this 11th day of Pro D2 pitted Mont-de-Marsan against Aix-en-Provence, respectively 3rd and 2nd in the standings before the match. This duel was won by the Montois. The Landais opened the scoring thanks to a strong try from Wakaya (7th), Provence Rugby only remaining in contact at the break (13-6) thanks to the boot of its veteran (40 years old) Jimmy Gopperth.
Returning from the locker room, Provence took the lead by scoring two tries in the first ten minutes (42nd, 49th), with a slalom from Teimana Harrison then with a full iron breakthrough from Lucas Martin after a carried ball. But this match kept its promises until the end and while Provence believed it had a great performance, Mont-de-Marsan went back in front in the 73rd after Eroni Sau eliminated four opponents on his wing before serving Yoann Laousse Azpiazu for the victory try (20-18). With this success, the Montois steal 2nd place in the ranking from their evening opponent.
Still stuck at the bottom of the table (15th before the match) despite a balanced record (5 wins, 5 losses), because of their withdrawal of 6 points, the Grenoblois were looking to win for the first time in the away season this Friday evening, in order to definitively leave the play-off zone. What they managed to do, not without difficulty, on the pitch of Soyaux-Angoulême (15-28), even leaving with the 5 points of the offensive bonus, obtained in the 78th minute. The Grenoblois, finalists last year, are finally moving on after a difficult start.
Second victory of the season for Rouen
In the other matches of the evening, Rouen, dead last in Pro D2 with only one victory in the first ten matches (1 draw, 8 defeats) won for the first time since August 25, on home turf against Colomiers ( 37-24). A result which will do good for the Normans, who had the luxury of scoring four tries.
In a match less generous in points, Aurillac took the upper hand over Valence-Romans, on its lawn (11-10), thanks to a successful 8-0 in the second half and in particular a try scored by Eoghan Masterson at the hour of Thu. Finally, Béziers won in style (40-14) against the promoted Dax. With this victory, Béziers is 5th, with 27 points.
