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It’s the halfway point of the Pro D2 season, and the Thursday Night Lights make their first visit to Béziers this week, who welcome top-of-the-table Vannes to the Stade Raoul Barrière.
Formerly known as the Stade de la Méditerranée, the ground was renamed in 2019 following the death of Raoul Barrière, Béziers’ legendary coach and architect of their most dominant era. With a capacity of 18,555, it is the second biggest in Pro D2 and bigger than all but five of the Top 14 grounds. It is the stadium’s story that tells you plenty about the club itself: it sits just a stone’s throw from the Mediterranean, and that Béziers were once the pre-eminent force in French rugby. They remain the third most successful side in the history of the French championship, and reminders of that past are never far away in the stadium. The concourse is lined with images of the winning teams, and a statue of iconic player Armand Vaquerin lifting the Brennus Shield stands proud in front of the main entrance. The Vaquerin statue is not only a nod to his character and his tragic end, but also to the club’s period of dominance as Champions of France; Vaquerin was the only player to feature in all 11 of their trophy winning seasons.
That sense of history, however, sits uneasily alongside a present that has been far less stable. The ownership group has come under pressure following last year’s takeover fronted by Bob Skinstad and Andrew Mehrtens. They had an ‘organisational restructure’ in October which resulted in David Irazquoi replacing Rory Teague as head coach - after Teague himself had replaced Pierre Caillet this year despite a player petition protesting that Caillet should remain in charge. To round it off, Béziers were also hit this week with a points deduction (alongside Biarritz and Dax) for financial irregularities. All this has contributed to a campaign that has never quite found any rhythm, even if there is underlying quality within their squad.
At their best, Béziers are one of the most watchable sides in Pro D2. Over the last few seasons, they have produced exceptional home performances, playing an all-court game that stretches defences and thrives on tempo. Much of that hinges, as ever, on Samuel Marques. Joint top try scorer in the league - ironically alongside Vannes’ own scrum-half Michael Ruru - Marques’ influence on Béziers is difficult to overstate. Comparisons are always tricky, but in terms of sheer impact, he is as pivotal to this side as Antoine Dupont is to Toulouse. When he plays well, so it seems, do Béziers.
There were signs of encouragement last week despite defeat away to Provence, particularly at scrum time. Béziers found periods of dominance once their replacement front row was introduced, with Marco Trauth and Yannick Arroyo impressing from the bench. Both are expected to have an impact late in the game, targeting the Vannes scrum as the match progresses.
The back five of the scrum remains robust even in the absence of Clément Ancely, only the second match he has missed all season. Tongan Otunku Pauta continues to be a huge figure, both literally and figuratively, carrying hard and often, while Sias Koen brings similar physicality with a knack for exploiting wider channels. Cam Dodson has impressed all season with his maul and lineout organisation, and veteran Shahn Eru - a bruising Cook Islands international - adds bulk and bite.
There is also intrigue around Taylor Gontineac, who drifted out of favour earlier in the season amid whispers of a potential move. Now back in the side, the French-born Romanian international - born in Aurillac and son of Romeo Gontineac, an Aurillac legend and current head coach - will hope to challenge one of the league’s most organised defensive systems.
If Béziers have been patchy this year, Vannes arrive as a model of consistency. They top the table, are the best away side in the league, yet are missing plenty here. Their list of absentees is striking: Mako Vunipola, Santiago Medrano, Dave Cherry, Joe Edwards, Sione Kalamafoni, Francis Saili, Anthony Bouthier and Paul Surano are all unavailable - names that would form the spine of most Pro D2 sides, and arguably several Top 14 squads.
That they continue to function so smoothly is testament to the depth of squad and clarity of coaching. Crucially, they have brought their leaders with them. First-choice half-backs Michael Ruru and Maxime Lafage make the trip south, a clear indication that Vannes are taking this one seriously. Ruru’s season has been remarkable: joint top try scorer in the division and leading turnover winner for his side. His influence stretches far beyond the obvious highlights.
Up front, Nick Schonert arrives in ominous form, having scored four tries in his last two outings. Meanwhile, there is a quiet thrill for Pro D2 connoisseurs in seeing recent France U20 Robin Taccola’s name on the team sheet - a young centre of immense promise who looked comfortable in the top tier last season.
Earlier this week, it was announced that Vannes will headline another round of Pro D2, their Round 17 game against Brive moved to the Saturday night prime-time slot usually reserved for the Top 14. It will be the third time this season Vannes have been deservedly thrust into the limelight, though some rival fans are naturally unimpressed by the Breton club’s rapid rise to the status of league and TV schedulers’ darlings. On Thursday night, however, the vociferous home support in Béziers will be keen to remind visitors that the Mediterranean side remain a big fish to be reckoned with.
Round 15 – Best Of The Rest
There are plenty of appealing match-ups with in-form sides on the road, and with the three-week Christmas break on the horizon, travelling fans will expect strong team selections.
Oyonnax are in imperious form, with five consecutive wins, and will fancy their chances at Biarritz despite the enormous journey. Seventh-place Agen host Aurillac, who have been excellent value for their sixth-place position, with some impressive away wins to boot. Nevers, unbeaten at home this year, welcome Brive, who have struggled on the road but regained some form with a resounding win over Carcassonne last week, rebooting their season.
The standout fixture, however, appears to be in Colomiers, where the Toulouse-based side in fourth place host this year’s surprise package Valence Romans, sitting second and level on 11 victories with Vannes. They can boast away scalps of Béziers, Biarritz, and, most impressively, Provence this season. Both sides are renowned for expansive, tempo-based games, promising those in attendance a pre-Christmas feast of running rugby.
Pro D2 continues this Thursday (18th December) with Béziers v Vannes, available live to UK & Ireland viewers for free via FRUK Rugby on YouTube.
