2007–08 Rugby Pro D2 season
Countries France
ChampionsToulon
PromotedToulon
Mont-de-Marsan
RelegatedBlagnac
USA Limoges
Matches played243
Tries scored744
(average 3.1 per match)
Top try scorerFrance Florian Ninard (13)

The 2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 was a French rugby union club competition. The season ran alongside the 2007-08 Top 14 competition, which is the highest club competition. Both competitions were operated by the Ligue nationale de rugby (LNR).

At the end of the previous season, Auch were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14. They were eventually followed by Dax who beat La Rochelle in the final providing the second promotion place. Colomiers were relegated to Fédérale 1; Limoges finished in a relegation spot, but were reprieved when Gaillac were denied a professional license for the 2007-08 season due to serious financial problems. Aurillac and Blagnac earned promotion from Fédérale 1.

The new season showed a bright future for two particular clubs who signed several quality players in the transfer market in hopes of promotion at the end of the season. Some notables include George Gregan, Victor Matfield, Andrew Mehrtens and Anton Oliver who all signed with Toulon. The team also signed former All Black and Toulon player Tana Umaga as their Manager Sportif. Meanwhile, Sireli Bobo, Carlo Festuccia and Argentine captain Agustín Pichot moved to Racing Métro. Pichot's move wasn't a long distance one since he was simply switching from one Parisian team to the other.

Toulon jumped to an early lead on the ladder and never looked back, ultimately clinching the title and automatic promotion with two rounds to spare. Mont-de-Marsan won the promotion playoffs, defeating Racing Métro in the final, to secure the second promotion place. At the other end of the table, Limoges and Blagnac finished in the relegation places. Unlike the previous season, when Limoges were spared relegation due to the financial woes of Gaillac, all of the clubs above the bottom two places passed their required postseason financial audits, ensuring that both of the bottom two teams would go down.

This season, LNR trialled a modification to the bonus point system in both the Top 14 and Pro D2. The system being used this season was:[1]

  • 4 points for a win.
  • 2 points for a draw.
  • 1 "bonus" point for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result.
  • 1 "bonus" point for losing by 7 points (or less).

This system was explicitly intended to prevent a losing team from earning two bonus points, as is possible under the standard system.[1]

Season table

Key to colors
     Champions automatically promoted to Top 14
     Winner of playoffs between second- through fifth-place teams for the second promotion place
     Remaining participants in promotion playoffs
     Bottom two teams are relegated to Fédérale 1. Blagnac was later relegated further, to Fédérale 2, due to financial issues.
2007-08 Rugby Pro D2 Table
Club Total points Bonus points Match points Games Won Drawn Lost Points for Points against Diff
1Toulon1061690302217873495+378
2Racing Métro991386302118683426+257
3Mont-de-Marsan89782301938582488+94
4Lyon8315683017013604424+180
5La Rochelle8113683017013540443+97
6Béziers819723017211556505+51
7Agen819723017211575430+145
8Grenoble779683016212506454+52
9Oyonnax739643016014612545+67
10Pau691356301401653357643
11Aurillac661056301401660969182
12Bordeaux-Bègles611150301211746852658
13Narbonne577503012117503626123
14Tarbes451134308121428705277
15Limoges31724305223340791451
15Blagnac27720304224469756287

Results

Round 1

Saturday 27 and Sunday 38 october

41ToulonBéziers7
18AurillacStade Montois26
22GrenobleTarbes16
16La RochelleOyonnax10
22Racing Métro 92LOU17
26PauBordeaux-Bégles17
20SU AgenBlagnac9
19LimogesNarbonne26
Round 2

Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 november

19Stade MontoisLa Rochelle9
29BéziersGrenoble5
17TarbesRacing Métro 9222
28OyonnaxPau13
39LOULimoges5
15Bordeaux-BéglesSU Agen22
5BlagnacToulon16
6NarbonneAurillac17
Round 3

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 november

29NarbonneSU Agen10
21GrenobleStade Montois16
29La RochelleBéziers21
48AurillacTarbes3
30ToulonOyonnax15
20PauLOU9
21Racing Métro 92Bordeaux-Bégles18
9LimogesBlagnac9
Round 4

Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 november

34TarbesToulon39
26BéziersPau19
22Stade MontoisRacing Métro11
28OyonnaxAurillac20
6LOUGrenoble3
12Bordeaux-BéglesLa Rochelle11
12BlagnacNarbonne19
62SU AgenLimoges0
Round 5

Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 november

15SU AgenBéziers12
15LimogesStade Montois14
19PauTarbes7
19Racing Métro 92Oyonnax10
29AurillacLOU21
37ToulonBordeaux-Bégles7
28La RochelleBlagnac11
12NarbonneGrenoble23
Round 6

Saturday 1 and Sunday 2 december

23TarbesNarbonne19
17BéziersLimoges10
19Stade MontoisSU Agen9
45OyonnaxBlagnac6
11LOULa Rochelle15
42GrenobleBordeaux-Bégles6
35ToulonPau10
15AurillacRacing Métro 929
Round 7

Saturday 8 and Sunday 9 december

13GrenobleToulon13
8NarbonneBéziers20
9BlagnacStade Montois19
6LimogesTarbes3
16SU AgenOyonnax3
9Bordeaux-BéglesLOU12
6PauRacing Métro 9211
28La RochelleAurillac10
Round 8

Saturday 15 december and Sunday 9 march

30La RochellePau6
27BéziersBlagnac15
14Stade MontoisNarbonne10
19TarbesBordeaux-Bégles6
25OyonnaxLOU21
64ToulonLimoges10
23AurillacSU Agen11
28Racing Métro 92Grenoble13
Round 9

Saturday 22 december, Sunday 23 december, Saturday 8 March* and Sunday 20 April**

24Racing Métro 92 **La Rochelle6
18Oyonnax *Béziers16
33SU AgenToulon0
12TarbesStade Montois12
15LOUNarbonne12
36Bordeaux-BéglesBlagnac13
16LimogesAurillac23
22GrenoblePau13
Round 10

Saturday 5 january and Sunday 6 january

20PauSU Agen26
6BéziersBordeaux-Bégles3
22Stade MontoisOyonnax6
37LOUTarbes0
18BlagnacAurillac19
9NarbonneRacing Métro 926
27GrenobleLimoges18
36ToulonLa Rochelle0
Round 11

Saturday 12 january and Sunday 13 january

18AurillacGrenoble16
7TarbesBéziers11
19Stade MontoisLOU10
33Bordeaux-BéglesOyonnax16
17BlagnacPau19
21ToulonNarbonne20
29Racing Métro 92Limoges0
17La RochelleSU Agen6
Round 12

Saturday 19 january and Sunday 20 january

12GrenobleLa Rochelle3
6SU AgenRacing Métro 9213
21BéziersStade Montois21
39OyonnaxTarbes12
36LOUBlagnac11
9Bordeaux-BéglesNarbonne16
16LimogesPau19
14AurillacToulon23
Round 13

Saturday 26 january and Sunday 27 january

15Racing Métro 92Toulon21
17BlagnacGrenoble29
14TarbesGrenoble16
10Stade MontoisBordeaux-Bégles6
15LOUBéziers6
25NarbonneOyonnax10
11LimogesLa Rochelle15
19PauAurillac17
Round 14

Saturday 2 february and Sunday 3 february

9GrenobleSU Agen3
16BéziersRacing Métro 9216
9PauStade Montois13
20BlagnacTarbes15
40OyonnaxLimoges6
14Bordeaux-BéglesAurillac12
16ToulonLOU6
19La RochelleNarbonne0
Round 15

Saturday 9 february and Sunday 10 february

9TarbesLa Rochelle32
37Racing Métro 92Blagnac21
16Stade MontoisToulon12
31AurillacToulon32
20OyonnaxGrenoble12
24SU AgenLOU20
19LimogesBordeaux-Bégles10
14NarbonnePau8
Round 16

Saturday 16 february and Sunday 17 february

24BéziersToulon23
15BlagnacSU Agen12
52Stade MontoisAurillac13
19TarbesGrenoble3
12OyonnaxLa Rochelle9
9LOURacing Métro 9213
16Bordeaux-BéglesPau6
26NarbonneLimoges10
Round 17

Saturday 23 february and Sunday 24 february

23La RochelleStade Montois12
60Racing Métro 92Tarbes7
26AurillacNarbonne20
11GrenobleBéziers12
37PauOyonnax16
9LimogesLOU29
16SU AgenBordeaux-Bégles9
38ToulonBlagnac9
Round 18

Saturday 1 march and Sunday 2 march

33OyonnaxToulon22
23BéziersLa Rochelle19
12Stade MontoisGrenoble6
13TarbesAurillac7
6LOUPau9
20Bordeaux-BéglesRacing Métro 9216
33BlagnacLimoges11
37SU AgenNarbonne11
Round 19

Saturday 15 march and Sunday 16 march

19GrenobleLOU12
30AurillacOyonnax6
9LimogesSU Agen9
9PauBéziers13
23Racing Métro 92Stade Montois22
30ToulonTarbes13
9La RochelleBordeaux-Bégles3
22NarbonneBlagnac22
Round 20

Saturday 22 march and Sunday 23 march

9OyonnaxRacing Métro 9216
12BlagnacLa Rochelle31
25BéziersSU Agen9
19Stade MontoisLimoges12
3TarbesPau8
28LOUAurillac9
8Bordeaux-BéglesToulon20
6GrenobleNarbonne13

Promotion playoffs

All times CET.

Semifinals

  • 15 June, 15:15 Mont-de-Marsan 126 Lyon
  • 15 June, 19:00 Racing Métro 2317 La Rochelle

Final

  • 21 June, 15:00 at Limoges Racing Métro 2332 Mont-de-Marsan (extra time)

See also

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 "French try out new bonus point system". Planet-Rugby.com. 2007-06-27. Archived from the original on 2007-09-29. Retrieved 2007-08-13.
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