Are you in the market for a cure for insomnia?  Look no further than Pro D2, writes our statistics correspondent Cardinale Ordinale

Pro D2 – what’s it all about? A veritable feast of running rugby it certainly isn’t. With the Rugby World Cup almost upon us, the powers that be will be hoping to attract a new audience to a game that offers fast, free-flowing excitement. They won’t do this by highlighting the best bits from last weekend’s Pro D2 action. Blimey, what a dire batch of games.

The eight games produced a total of 280 points, at an average of only 35 points per game. It gets worse though. Of these 280 points, a staggering 240 of them came via the boot. In other words, the eight games produced a miserly total of only ten tries. Of these ten touch downs, three came in what was a relative plethora of entertainment in Dax’s win over Beziers.

Two of the games were all-kicks affairs with not a single try witnessed. Pity therefore those poor souls who ventured to Aix and Aurillac. Other matches to enter the Hall of Shame were those at Carcassonne and Oyonnax, thanks to a meagre total of two tries from a combined tally of 86 points.

Not that it’s needed, but the final ongle in the Pro D2 cercueil is the fact that not one game last weekend generated an attacking bonus point. There were plenty of defensive bonus points to be had, but not one team was able to generate three tries. If you’re a fan of Pro D2 rugby and want our advice, take a watching brief of this week’s clashes. If things don’t improve, head off to the Fédérale jungles for more enjoyment and better value for your centime.