their calendar
Bayonne (2nd, 86 points): goes to Montauban (this Thursday), receives Vannes (21 April), goes to Carcassonne (6 May), receives Rouen (13 May).
Oyonnax (3rd, 84 points): receives Agen (next Friday), goes to Narbonne (April 22), receives Provence (May 6), goes to Aurillac (May 13).
1 Laussucq: “Oyo can do four out of four”
“Given his calendar, Oyonnax can do four out of four. I don’t see Narbonne beat Oyo, or even Aurillac who won’t play anything on the last day. In contrast, only soft-stomach teams are featured, with “leg of beans” contests, as so often at the end of the season. So if I have to give my prediction, I say Oyo in second place. For Bayonne, the oppositions are more complicated, with teams still playing something like Montauban and Carcassonne. †
Christopher Laussucq.
N/A
“This season the Pro D2 is serious business. What Mont-de-Marsan is doing is exceptional, and so are the other two contenders. The Bayonnais were shot after their defeat at home to the Montois (14–33, November 5). The quality of their playing has been criticized, but we must not forget that they are very solid in impact and in conquest. The audience is not always happy, because the game is not super fun, but Bayonne is serious! Oyonnax may be more complete, but Bayonne is closer. †
“At halftime it would be very complicated for Bayonne in Oyo, and almost mission impossible for Oyonnax in Bayonne”
“The problem is that both are a bit of a victim of the surprise guest this year. They could have easily finished first and second without the exceptional season at Mont-de-Marsan. That is why we have to rent the course of the three teams. When I coached Mont-de, a season with 80 points was a very good season. There the three can be more than 100 points! The terrible and unfair thing about this formula is that Mont-de plays his season in a final or a play-off against Perpignan, when this team deserves to move up. I don’t see Mont-de losing his half at home, but in the final Bayonne or Oyonnax are quite capable of winning. †
“These two teams run the risk of ending up in a semi-final of the most uncertain. There is an extra jump-off for whoever finishes third, but that doesn’t have to be the most disturbing thing. On the other hand, it will be necessary to go to the second. And it won’t be a gift! It would be very complicated for Bayonne in Oyo, and almost impossible for Oyonnax in Bayonne. Returning players like Tuava or Ruru can weigh in at this level. Bayonne has the experience, has come back almost every time, unlike Oyonnax, which has been vegetating in Pro D2 for a while (since 2018). These are two strong teams, but rowing has an advantage over maturity. †
Jerome Thion.
Jean-Daniel Chopin
2 Thion: “In Montauban and Carcassonne, two revealers”
“If I’m not really worried about the two Bayonne receptions (Vannes and Rouen), which should end with an offensive bonus, the two trips to Montauban and Carcassonne are more complicated. Hence the advantage for Oyonnax given the calendar. Despite everything, at the end of the season, rowing takes on a different dimension, compared to Oyonnax, which recently lost to all the big teams: Colomiers (29-17), Mont-de-Marsan (27-20), Montauban (30-24) and Bayonne, exactly (52-21). Even during his last good match in Béziers, Oyo missed the goal (10-10). And if we look at the recent reception of Bourg-en-Bresse (31-21), there is a ten point victory but with content that is far from ideal. †
“Oyonnax has the advantage given the calendar […] but Bayonne offers better content and a larger workforce”
“By taking more height, I find that Bayonne offers better content and has a denser workforce, with a large bank. The group is coming off a final trip with a disappointing result, at Mont-de-Marsan (15-13), where they could have won if they hadn’t missed out on tactics, especially in the first half. kicking. It was an exciting match, with only one attempt. A final match. But this team takes on another dimension. For me, she will have a big advantage in elimination matches, even if receiving is a real plus. It’s a huge difference between two teams at roughly the same level. Even more so in Bayonne, with the support of the public. †
