National. Takeover operation for the CSBJ, the VRDR at the developer, the SOC to dream again… the challenges of the 18th day

Suresnes – BOURGOIN-JALLIEU (Saturday, 6 p.m.)

Heavily beaten before the break with leader Dax (28-9), Bourgoin measured the path he had to go to play the leading roles in the National. Penalized 21 times in the Landes, the current 8^e of the championship has worked a lot on the discipline for two weeks, in particular with the help of a referee. This will be one of the key sectors of the match in Suresnes this Saturday (6 p.m.).

“It’s a team that came to win with us in October and since then we have not been on a good dynamic, notes the versatile three-quarter Rémy Bouet. We have it bad, we want to give them back their own coin. “In order to dominate Ile-de-France residents dropped in the standings (11^es), the CSBJ can count on the return of long injuries of Rémi Gaborit (pillar), Robin Gascou (2^e line), Kevin Rivoire (3^e line) and Isaiah Leota (center).

Tied with Tarbes and Narbonne but behind in particular goal average, the sky and garnet club has almost no more jokers to burn in the race for the top 6.

The starting XV

Cachet – Lefort, Patilla, C. Bosch, Rokua – (o) Vuillemin, (m) R. Bouet – Rabatel, Luafutu (cap.), K. Rivoire – Gascou, Lavetanakoroi – M. Simutoga, M. Castant, Gaborit. Substitutes: Favaretto, Tripier, Calliet, L. Cotte, Lepage, Pontarollo, Morton, Leota.

VALENCE-ROMANS – Narbonne (Saturday, 7:30 p.m.)

Not necessarily successful against the big players in the division this season, the VRDR will however have to get rid of Narbonne, Saturday evening (7:30 p.m.) at the Pompidou stadium in Valence during the 18^e National day. The former residents of Pro D2, and ex-teammates of the current Damiers opener Lucas Méret, beaten at home in the first leg (19-26), will face a Drôme team which has found a smile since two matches ended in victories against Rennes (17-10) and Hyères (11-19).

While this penultimate block of the regular season will be one of the toughest with matches against Nice, Bourgoin, Suresnes and Albi, the VRDR having announced the recruitment of hooker Yanis Gimenez on Friday, is playing in the heart of winter the preservation of his second place in the standings, sesame for the semi-finals with return match at home and therefore a significant advantage for accession to Pro D2.

The starting XV

Cazes – Vargas, Neiceru, Quinnez, Giresse – Méret (o.), Menzel (m.) – Laville, Gicquel, Army (cap.) – Uys, Goumat – Fincham, Marco Pena, Zouhair. Finishers (probable): Pontanier, Aleo, Gimenez, Groenewald, Iashagashvili, Dupas, Moura, Pauvert.

CHAMBÉRY – Blagnac (Sunday, 3 p.m.)

Chambéry resumed dreaming of qualifying for the finals after his first bonus victory at Cognac (46-3), which brought him closer to 4 points, a victory of the 6^e place held by Bourgoin, Tarbes and Narbonne.

To believe a little more in their destiny, the men of the Villain-Orlandi-San Martin trio can hardly afford any missteps until the end of the regular phase, starting on Sunday against a member of the top 6, the surprising Blagnac team, 5th, ten points ahead of them.

A match that the Savoyards will tackle with the return of vital forces and in particular their captain and 3^e Jean-Baptiste Grenod and the 2^e Portuguese international line Steevy Cerqueira, absent in Charente to treat a crutch in the thigh and a blow to the ribs.

Pierre-Nicolas Dance also returns after two months of absence (broken finger) in a workforce in the 3rd line limited by the absences of Coignat (ischios), Bertrand (knee) and Triki (in the Spanish selection).

Behind, Cyril Villain will be able, if his qualification arrives in time, to count on his latest recruit Aviata Silago, the New Zealand center or opener from Nevers (Pro D2), loaned this week by the Nivernais club to the SOC until the end of the season.

The group

Clermont, Lawrence; Primault, Brute of Rémur ; Pertaia, Saisi; Witz, Guyot, Gautier; Grenod (cap.), Cerqueira, Lebian, Dance; (m) Dufau, Nocete; Moreno (o), Silas; Velten, Pisano, Goneva, Nennig, Mawalu; Hecquet.