The second day of Pro D2 opens this Thursday with a Béziers-Biarritz match. On Friday, the Brive team will want to confirm against the attractive Angoumoisins while Grenoble hosts Provence Rugby in a top-of-the-table clash.
The only team with five points at the end of the first day of Pro D2, the Soyaux-Angoulême team of English star Jonny May hosts the ambitious Brivistes for the second day on Friday.
Soyaux-Angoulême beat Aurillac by a not so comfortable margin in their first match (31-24) but the five tries scored, including the hat-trick by winger Matthys Gratien, against the two by Aurillacois were enough to bring back five points from Cantal.
The team was strengthened in the off-season by a British veteran, Jonny May, 34 years old and second try scorer in the history of the XV de la rose (38 tries in 78 matches), who signed a two-year contract. On Friday, he could meet on the field on the Brive side a former teammate in the national team, Courtney Lawes, 35 years old, also a former leader of the XV de la rose with his 105 selections.
Montauban-Mont-de-Marsan, an already important match
Brive also had a successful start to the season, winning at home against Oyonnax (18-9), the team that relegated from the Top 14 at the end of last season. On Thursday, the opening match of the day, Béziers-Biarritz, also pits two teams who won their first match against each other. The last match on Friday evening will also be a clash between Grenoble and Provence Rugby.
The Aix club finished first in the 2023/2024 regular season but was surprised by one point in the semi-finals by Grenoble. They then suffered two defeats, against Vannes and then Montpellier, preventing them from joining the elite. The two teams, who won from the start, are once again aiming for promotion.
In the other matches, Oyonnax will have to recover when they host Nevers, who were defeated at home by Grenoble on the first day. Agen, who had resisted well against Provence before cracking, will host the promoted Nice. Montauban and Mont-de-Marsan – two unfortunates of the first day – face each other in a match that can already count. Finally, Valence-Romans, who had brought back a point from their trip to Biarritz, welcome Dax, winner of Montauban on the first day.
The program for the 2nd day of Pro D2
Thursday September 5th
(9:00 p.m.) Béziers – Biarritz
Friday September 6th
(7:00 p.m.) Soyaux-Angoulême – Brive
(19h30) Colomiers – Aurillac
(19h30) Oyonnax – Nevers
(19h30) Agen – Nice
(7:30 p.m.) Montauban – Mont-de-Marsan
(19h30) Valence-Romans – Dax
(21h00) Grenoble – Provence Rugby
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