The Section Paloise is facing a perilous sequence: Toulouse then Montpellier, it’s a bit like asking a cyclist to ride the Aspin then the Tourmalet. The Béarnais overcame the first obstacle with rather light socks, but here is the main course, the defending champion. Like the Section, the MHR has two victories after three days, and does not seem to know any backlash after the title. So, the Paloise Section will still have to raise its level to hope to raise its arms on arrival and bring down the Héraultais.
The Pau staff continue their rotation to support the tunnel of the first ten games, thus, Fisi’ihoi and Cummins are back in the front 5, while in the 3rd line, the rookie Sacha Zegueur will wear the Section jersey for the first time. Day of the first start of the season also for the opening half Thibault Debaes. The double scorer against Toulouse, Jack Maddocks, slipped from the wing to the back.
The teams
Montpelier: 15. Bouthier; 14. Ngandebe, 13. Darmon, 12. Garbise, 11. Rattez; 10. Foursans, 9. Coly; 7. Camara (cap), 8. Tauleigne, 6. Dakuwaqa; 5. Duguid, 4. Van Rensburg; 3. Haouas, 2. Giudicelli, 1. Chauvac.
Subs: 16. Paenga-Amosa, 17. Forletta, 18. Verhaeghe, 19. Mercer, 20. Aprasidze, 21. Carbonel, 22. Lucas, 23. Lamositele.
Pau section: 15. Maddocks; 14. Carol, 13. Gailleton, 12. Vatubua, 11. Colombet; 10. Debaes, 9. Daubagna (cap); 7. Puech, 8. L. Whitelock, 6. Zegueur; 5.Capelli, 4.Cummins; 3. Corato, 2. Delhommel, 1. Fisi’ihoi.
Subs: 16. L. Rey, 17. Papidze, 18. Ducat, 19. Tagitagivalu, 20. Joseph, 21. C. Le Bail, 22. Henry, 23. Tokolahi.