For the last outing of the year 2024, Brive receives Agen. In a Top 14-style duel, both teams want to finish the first leg of the Pro D2. After its defeat in Grenoble, Brive wants to get off to a good start while Agen is on a good run and would not say no to an away result.
There is a gap between Brive and Agen and the two teams are not aiming for the same thing this season. The CAB wants to return to the Top 14 and Agen is starting a new cycle to once again play the leading roles in Pro D2. Afterwards, in a match, anything is possible.
Review of the season
Brive : 2nd with 42 points (9 wins, 0 draws, 5 losses)
Agen : 9th with 31 points (6 wins, 0 draws, 8 losses)
After a season of taking the temperature and getting back on the right track, Brive is really playing the leading roles this season. In addition to the results obtained, Brive will also be judged on the game produced with the projection on what this could give in Top 14 if applicable.. The CAB did not waste time at the start of the season by winning the opening of the championship against Oyonnax then by reporting the victory of Soyaux-Angoulême. We then start with a sequence of defeat away – victory at home. The Brivists lost in Nevers before reacting at home by taking full points against Aurillac. At Mont de Marsan, Brive disconnected after 15 minutes of play and took a Nice slap. To start the 2nd block, it is the Biarritz leader who is visiting the Stadium. Failing to completely control the match, Brive is realistic and takes the defensive bonus. In its duel against Provence, the CAB revisits the ghosts of the past by bowing at the siren after a match controlled for 70 minutes. Dax is very close to inflicting a first home defeat on CAB who had a little helping hand from destiny that evening. The period is not good for the Brivists who once again bow heavily towards Valence-Romans. The bad patch continued until half-time at Colomiers’ reception. Because after the break, it’s another Brive team. Colomiers was swept aside before Nice lost at home, with CAB picking up their second away win of the season. For its 3rd block, Brive continues its matches at the top. First at home with the receptions in Montauban and Béziers. There are two victories along the way but in very different styles: open match against Montauban and closed match against Béziers. For its only trip to the bloc and its last in 2024, Brive goes to Grenoble for a shock at the top as the leaders face each other. The Brive players start well but will experience a power outage lasting around thirty minutes which will allow the FCG to widen a gap with an insurmountable score.. The CAB reacts in the 2nd period but starts too far away. If Brive is 2nd in the ranking, something is missing to be on par with Grenoble in terms of play in particular. There is still one match left with the possibility of finishing first at the end of the first leg. We have to finish well against Agen but what is certain is that Brive is on time and is not behind schedule.
If Agen still remains a stronghold of French rugby and Pro D2, it remains at a distance from the behemoths of the division which are Grenoble, Brive, Provence and other Oyonnax. After somewhat chaotic seasons, the Agenais are starting a new project with a new strong man: Sébastien Calvet. Back at the SUA, the former France U20 coach aims to get the club back on track. The start of the season is frustrating because if the defensive bonus brought back from Provence can be placed in the drawer of good results, the defeat at home against the promoted Nice, which at the same time wins the first success in its history in Pro D2, is not good and does not help launch the team into the season. Eventually it will wait another week. Agen wins on the side of Mont de Marsanplunging the Landais a little further into doubt. For the Agenais, the season is finally starting. After starting with a defeat, the SUA won its first match in Armandie of the season, dominating Nevers but without taking the offensive bonus. At home, Agen is starting to line up successes like against Dax or Colomiers. It’s on the outside where it gets a little more stuck. It’s stuck while being frustrating because there was room to do better than a defensive bonus at Valence-Romans and Biarritz. After eight days, Agen is 7th in the standings, just two points from the podium. But here it is, November begins and it will be a dark month for the Agenais. No victory will be recorded. Agen lost in turn to Grenoble, to Soyaux-Angoulême, in the derby against Montauban and finally to Béziers. This unscrewing hurt the ranking with only one point taken. Agen is now 12th, with only 2 points ahead of the jump-off. The SUA needs to break this negative spiral. In a duel between sick teams, Agen beats Oyonnax with the offensive bonus. Faced with a direct competitor, this broad success feels good. Just like the one immediately against Aurillac, again a direct competitor and there also an improved success. This month of December puts Agen back in the middle of the tablefour points behind 6th place and seven points ahead of the jump-off. Agen understands perfectly that in this tight championship, we must avoid major slumps. Building on two successes in December, there remains one last match to play to maintain this positive spiral. The trip to Brive promises to be complicated but you never know, anything can happen.
Strong men
Issam Hamel needed a performance like in Grenoble to get back on track. Number 3 in the hierarchy, the former Nevers player sounded the revolt in Grenoble with a double. He must continue against Agen. Saved last week, Courtney Lawes and Taniela Sadrugu return to the 3rd line. The team needs the experience of the former and the power of the latter. The team also needs to see Curwin Bosch let loose and become that offensive player everyone is waiting for. He must also continue to post a high percentage on the foot. With injuries to Stuart Olding and Sam Johnson, the starting center position is available. Paul Pimienta will have the opportunity to show himself in front of his new audience. Arriving from Agen, like Timilai Rokoduru, Tevita Railevu is struggling to find his place since this will only be his second match with CAB. The Fijian must show himself to have playing time during the return phase.
Hans Lombard-Buret will deliver a great duel against Marcel Van der Merwe. Faced with a powerful but also fragile scrum, the left-hander from Agen will have to do the job. Just like Santi Socino who established himself upon his arrival in France. After 4 years in Gloucester, the Argentinian international brings all his experience to the SUA. The 2nd line is very experienced and will have to respond to the physical challenge imposed by their opponents. Tomasi Fineanganofo has been making a series of starts lately and his power is doing damage. His performances were rewarded with a first professional contract. Iban Etcheverry has been feeling confident lately with 4 tries in the last two matches including a hat-trick against Oyonnax. Agen is not really the same team with or without Kolinio Ramoka. His knee injury hurt the team but the Fijian is back this season and has lost none of his level.
Results and confrontations
Brive (at home) : VVVVVVV
Oyonnax (18-9), Aurillac (48-17), Biarritz (31-13), Dax (15-13), Colomiers (49-15), Montauban (37-22), Béziers (15-10)
Agen (outside) : DVDDDDD
Provence (21-18), Mont de Marsan (23-28), Valence-Romans (30-25), Biarritz (30-26), Grenoble (37-10), Soyaux-Angoulême (30-29), Béziers ( 34-24)
When we look at the dynamics of each side mid-championship, we say to ourselves that the duel is unbalanced and that the local team leaves with a head start. But you never know, you always have to believe for the away team.
CAB remains among the group of teams undefeated at home. For the moment, it is a 7/7 and this partly explains the very good position in the ranking. Despite this, there were recent outings that were a little more complicated, such as against Dax and Béziers. Agen started well away with a bonus in Provence and a victory in Mont de Marsan. And then everything stopped. With this victory which flees the Agenais even if often, it does not go far with several defensive bonuses.
Over the past decades, Brive and Agen have regularly clashed. The SUA does not really succeed in the CABnotably in Armandie with only one victory (in 2020) in all history. At the Stadium, we are often treated to a close match, with several Agen victories the last of which was in February 2020 (16-30), shortly before confinement. Fortunately, the CAB remains on two major successes against the SUA including last season, with a score of 29 to 3.
Here is the composition of the two teams for the Brive – Agen match (kick-off at 9 p.m., referee: Mr Pierre Bru)
For Brive : 1 Chauvac – 2 Hamel – 3 Van der Merwe – 4 Ratuva – 5 Timani – 6 Marais – 7 Lawes (Cap) – 8 Sadrugu – 9 Verdu – 10 Bosch – 11 Railevu – 12 Pimienta – 13 Rokoduru – 14 Dridi – 15 Ferté
Substitutes : 16 Boudou – 17 Fraissenon – 18 Usarraga – 19 Mikautadze – 20 Warren-Vosayaco – 21 Carbonneau – 22 Galletier – 23 Coria Marchetti
Absent : To consult the status of the CA Brive infirmary, do not hesitate to go to the infirmary tab
For Agen : 1 Lombard-Buret – 2 Socino – 3 Farrance – 4 Olmstead – 5 Demotte – 6 Lebian (Cap) – 7 Fineanganofo – 8 Gayraud – 9 Maunder – 10 Searle – 11 Etcheverry – 12 Garrigues – 13 Ramoka – 14 Toloteau – 15 Toloteau
Substitutes : 16 El Bibouji – 17 Guion – 18 Eissmann – 19 Bonnet – 20 Idjellidaine – 21 Belan – 22 Martins – 23 Macharashvili
Absent : Muscarditz (shoulder), Farré (adductors), Purdy (family reasons), Madigan (biceps), Buttin, Duputs (wrist), Bellot, Devergie, Burin (concussion)
Image: CA Brive
