Tarbes – VRDR (Saturday at 7:30 p.m.)
Upset following its defeat in Tarbes last year (24-23) but already winner in the first leg last November (38-8), the VRDR wishes to take its (second) revenge in Bigourdan country this Saturday on the occasion of the 24e National day, while at least two victories in the last three days would allow the Damiers to secure their second place in the standings. In the Tarn, facing the team of Fabien Fortassin who will train the VRDR next season, the Drômois do not imagine for a single second that the Stado will make them the flower of letting the match slip away, while the race for qualification is still relevant in Tarbes. Captain Alexis Armory, who played for 7 seasons with the Tarn club, will be back following his last minute withdrawal from Dax last week (28-23 defeat), and rookie Dylan Lam will be in the group to surely play his first minutes under the tunic of the Checkers…
The starting XV of the VRDR: Gobet – Vargas, Bouldoire, Neiceru, Wierenga – Moura (o.), Menzel (m.) – Iashagashvili, Girlando, Armary (cap.) – Goumat, Dyer – Fincham, Marco Pena, Zouhair.
Cognac – CSBJ (Sunday at 3 p.m.)
Penultimate trip of the season for the Berjalliens, who are now masters of their destiny to cling to their sixth place synonymous with play-offs. For this 10-hour trip, the Ciels and Grenat should make some changes in the group that will take the direction of Charente. Nicolas Cachet should be absent and give up his place at the back to Rémy Bouet. Nicolas Vuillemin should find his place at the opening following two matches spent in the fridge. Ditto for Maka Foliaki who should start on the wing.
Faced with the red lantern, already sentenced to National 2, the stakes are enormous for the Berjalliens who still fear this opponent. “We know that they will try to grab at least one victory by the end of the season, we don’t want to be the team that will fall to them”, promised Sébastien Tillous-Borde, manager , from the evening of the victory once morest Chambéry, last Saturday. With this match on Sunday, the Ciels and Grenat will be able to keep an eye this Friday and Saturday on their direct competitors: Bourg-en-Bresse (5e) which receives Albi and Tarbes (7e) which hosts Valence-Romans.
SOC – Suresnes (Sunday at 3 p.m.)
After the disappointment suffered in Bourgoin (33-16 defeat) last week once morest the regional rival which takes away their 99% chance of seeking the sixth and last qualifying place for the play offs for the promotion to Pro D2, SO Chambéry, “will try to get the best possible place by the end of the regular phase”, according to his 2e Steevy Cerqueira line, on the evening of April 29. The Savoyard club points once more to only 10e place in the ranking (with 56 points), 9 points from its initial objective (10 if we count the particular goal average), the Top 6. Three days from the end, it is not mathematically lost, but , more realistic, at just 4 points, is the 7e place held by Tarbes. An honorable place to aim for for a group that had given everything in March (3 wins in a row) to still believe in its chances. The risk of demobilization did not seem to exist in the discourse of players and coaches this week, and the arrival of Suresnes, also a candidate announced for the Top 6 but far from his ambitions (11e only), can be a good way to prove it.
There was still damage in the Savoyard ranks in Isère territory. The captain and 3e line Jean-Baptiste Grenod, the left pillar Géraud Clermont (knee), the center Aviata Silago and the back Jules Dorrival both touched in the hand), in addition to the 2e line Astier (suspended following his red card to Pierre-Rajon), will miss the call in a group of 23 that reintegrate the two Fijians Goneva and Mawalu as well as Altier (winger), Bruté de Rémur (hooker) and Lorenzon (pillar).
The Chambery group: Lorenzon, Segui; Primault, Bruté de Remur; Pertaïa, Audoire; Cerqueira, Guyot, Gautier; Coignat, Triki, Lebian, Begig (head), (m) Nocete, Dufau; Moreno (or); Altier, Pisano, Blanc, Goneva, Sao, Mawalu; Hecquet.