Top 14 – Pau-Lyon notes: Auradou and Kpoku radiant, Guillard and Couilloud out too early

Joel Kpoku

The English third line trained at Saracens was in our opinion the best Pau forward. It came out at 64^e under the well-deserved applause of the Hamlet. He impressed us with his felling and his activity on the meeting points, notably achieving two important scratches. We also saw him contribute to mauls and forcing phases near the opposing line. He proved to his former club that he was a true Top 14 player.

Hugo Auradou

He played 80 minutes in a magnificent pack of self-sacrifice and courage. He receives praise for the others, no doubt (Hewatt, Calles or Papidze). But the second international line took balls into touch, stole one and disrupted a third. We saw him active, good at support, enduring like no other. Valuable on mauls and tight pick and go phases close to the lines. And the Pau scrum was not in difficulty. A real demonstration…

Davit Niniashvili

As usual, he had some waste, with an unwelcome clearance in the 50^e. As usual, his relationship with his partners was not always smooth, as when he tried to take the ball from Martin Méliande that the latter was preparing to kick from a penalty. The fact remains that beyond his faults, the Georgian international remains a first-class X factor, one of those who need to be supplied with as many good balls as possible. Positioned on the left wing of Lou, he scored a double at speed, the first in overflow at the conclusion of a crossing from Tchaptchet, the second in the race, in pursuit of a subtle kick to be continued by Méliande.

Mickaël Guillard and Baptiste Couilloud

In this “life and death” encounter, Lou obviously had great need of his best servants on the ground. Except that, by coincidence or not, two of them had to leave the match prematurely… Stunned by contact with a Pau resident, the second international row Mickaël Guillard tried to stay on the pitch for a while before being carefully called back to the edge from the field to the 26^e for a concussion protocol from which he did not return. As for scrum half Baptiste Couilloud, victim of a clearing by Zégueur, he had to leave his partners three minutes later, hit in the right elbow. A double tile all the more infuriating as Berdeu also had to leave the field in the 52nd^ehit in the left thigh.

Tomas Lavanini

After having already sinned against Clermont the week earlier for two “double glazings” having wasted two penalties, the Argentinian international was relegated to the bench, also due to the return of Mickaël Guillard. Coincidence of fate, the early exit of the French international gave him enough playing time to redeem himself, which he unfortunately did not take advantage of. Little in sight of his usual strong point of restarting the game, Lavanini again cost dearly through indiscipline, notably on an unnecessary clearance which ruined Lyon's last opportunity in the 74th^e.

Emilien Gailleton

He returned to the club after his time with the French team. We thought he could bring a lot of fresh blood to the Paloise Section. We were a little disappointed, he didn't pierce or pierce the opposing defense. It is true that the appearance of the match and the Pau options were not made for pure attackers. But we expected from him a ray of light which did not come. We also saw him suffer in defense on Lyon's first try, mystified by Tchapchet.

The Palois are ranked tenth while the Lou is temporarily in the jump-off.