She would have brought happiness and qualified the Section for the big European Cup last spring. But she ran away from him for a little point. A failure if we stick to these numerical realities, which draw a new one this season. After 9 days of the championship, the Béarnais club is 12th, with 15 points on the clock. “It's not much compared to our ambitions, what we hoped for,” Sébastien Piqueronies logically judged two weeks ago in our columns. This summer, Pau managers, staff and players proclaimed the same objective: top 6 if all goes well, top 8 if things go wrong.
The editorial team advises you
The editorial team advises you
10 victories at least, 11 more surely
By making the third worst start since its return to the elite of French Rugby in 2015, it is a downright exit that awaits the Paloise Section. If we go back to the 2009-2010 season, i.e. 14 previous ones, only Montpellier in 2011-2012 finished among the top six (5th) while it was ranked 12th after 9 days. Otherwise, Castres took seventh place in 2020-2021 when Bayonne gleaned eighth in 2012-2013 starting from that far away.
“I really want to take up the challenge. That means that we will have to have an exceptional end to the season,” replied Piqueronies when we mentioned the most recent example of the CO. It will even take a big feat, the consequence of several small ones. Over the last eight seasons, eighth place has been decided between 58 (once) and 66 points (twice). The Section Paloise would therefore be missing at least 43 to enter the top 8.
That is 10 victories minimum if it continues to collect bonuses (3 for the moment), 11 or 12 if this is not the case. Over the remaining 17 days of the championship, that doesn't leave much room for error or empty exits… If they need a textbook case to realize the scale of the task, the Greens and White will only have to take a look at their recent history, which seems to be stuttering.
The editorial team advises you
The editorial team advises you
Avoiding the specter of relegation
During the 2016-2017 season, Pau was… 12th after 9 days, weighed down by a series of three consecutive defeats. A final setback at La Rochelle was added before the Béarnais club began a crazy series of 8 wins and 1 draw in 10 matches, with 7 consecutive wins and 1 draw. Back in the top 6, the Section then fell back in the ranking to the disadvantage of 4 matches without the slightest point gleaned. Finally, they finished ninth, 1 point behind eighth…
Before hoping for such a thrill, the Béarnais must already cause a surge in Montpellier this weekend and at the Hameau against Lyon in 15 days. Because the MHR is tied for 11th and the LOU is 10th with 3 units ahead of Pau. Before being competitors in the crazy comeback, they are competitors in maintaining the Top 14. By default, it becomes the first vital objective of the Paloise Section.
In a position equivalent to its own at this stage of the season, four clubs have been relegated to Pro D2 (3 finished 13th, 1 last) since 2009, including Oyonnax last June… More statistics and projections to lie to.
The flops of a failed start to the season
20 penalties conceded in scrum: the Pau pack is the second most penalized in the Top 14
10 yellow cards received, this is the 3rd highest total in the elite
244 points conceded, for the 11th defense of the championship, or 72 more than last season on the 9th day
70% success at the foot for Joe Simmonds (23/33). Best director of the Top 14 last season, he shot 83% (95/114).
