Try-fests galore as fans flock to ProD2

THE curtain had barely come down on the regular ProD2 season on Friday night when the Ligue Nationale de Rugby - entirely justifiably - popped out a press release celebrating a new cumulative crowd record for the French second tier.

- JAMES HARRINGTON

In total, 1,430,046 fans went through the turnstiles - an average of 5,959 per match, and a six per cent year-on-year improvement.

And those in the stands on Friday night for the final round of the regular campaign - when all matches kicked off at 9pm - were treated to try-fest after try-fest as the play-off places were decided. In total, 69 tries were scored in the eight matches on the night. Oh, and the referees brandished 23 yellows and four reds. Quite the night, really.

Grenoble and Brive had the top two - which come with passes direct to the play-off semi-finals - sewn up at kick off. All that remained was the order.

The former’s 51-42 win over Nevers ensured first place as the latter, with a certain Lewis Noon one of four players making their senior debuts, lost 57-24 at Beziers.

Provence - despite their 47-31 loss at Oyonnax - will host Soyaux-Angouleme on Thursday. Jonny May’s side, in their first-ever play-off phase, have the best away record in the ProD2, but George North and Jimmy Gopperth’s club are 15 from 15 this season. The winners of that match will travel to Grenoble on May 29.

Twenty-four hours after Provence meet Soyaux-Angouleme, Colomiers will host Montauban for the right to travel to Brive on May 30. The final, at Stade Ernest Wallon, is on June 7.

At the other end of the table, Aurillac’s bonus-point victory over Montauban wasn’t enough to pull them out of the relegation play-off spot. They will travel to play the loser of the third-tier Nationale final - either Chambery or Carcassonne - on June 1.