Our Federale 1 favourites Vannes can only pick up a bonus point from their visit to promoted Hagetmau

Hagetmau 19 Vannes 16: Vannes made a flying start to their Federale 1 campaign, but ultimately fell short of an opening victory at Hagetmau.

When full-back Steeve Sargos put Duplenne through for the opening try 10 minutes in, it seemed as though the newly promoted hosts would be in for first-day disappointment, but Hagetmau struck back with a score of their own, winger Nicolas Ducornau cutting through the Breton defence to score.

The conversion and a penalty by Julien Langlade made it 10-5 at the break, but Vannes struck back after the restart, centre Kevin Burgaud crossing after a patient build-up by the visitors. The 12-10 lead couldn't last though, and Vannes, who lost a player for 10 minutes in each half for white-card technical offences, gave Langlade the chance to add three easy penalties.

Vannes outside-half Max Cocetta kicked a late penalty to set up an exciting finale, but Hagetmau held on in the stifling heat to celebrate a winning return to Federale 1 after two years away - the only victory by any of the four newly promoted sides this weekend.

Second string: The curtain raiser went the other way with Vannes B beating Hagetmau's reserves 22-20.

Also in Pool 3: Lavaur 25 Saint-Junien 11, Langon 11 Saint-Medard 18, Colomiers 25 Morlaas 3, Saint-Nazaire 17 St-Jean-de-Luz 16

Next up: Vannes vs Lavaur, Sunday October 2, Stade Jo Courtel, Vannes. Les Vannetais will be hoping for a return to winning form from their first home fixture of the 2011/12 season. The visitors are AS Vauréene, Fed1 regulars who had rarely threatened the play-offs until last season, when they reached the last 16 only to be tonked 88-22 over two legs by eventual promotees Perigueux.

They have picked up a trophy in recent seasons when they beat Nice 16-10 in the final of the play-down knock-out round in 2009, confirming their status as the 55th best team in France.

Lavaur, who hail from the Tarn departement midway between Toulouse and Castres, made a bright start to the season with a 25-11 home win over Saint-Junien. Flanker Julien Galinier scored their first try of the campaign, fly-half Julien Lauvernet adding 20 points with the boot.

Les Vauréenes can boast some famous names in Laporte, Poux, Mazas and Marty, but they're not the ones your thinking of. Saying that, stalwart Bertrand Marty is starting his sixth season at the club, and the prop - who spent his early years at Beziers and Narbonne - is also a doctor of physics and microelectronics. Expect to see some boring in the scrum on Sunday then.

Laporte meanwhile, is fellow prop Antoine, born in France but established in the Senegalese front row.

The news Fed-lines: There's nothing to this predictions lark. Just days after we tip Colomiers, Massy, Tyrosse and Bourg-en-Bresse to be up there at the end of the season than all four pick up bonus-point wins. Colomiers started the Fed1 ball rolling with a 25-3 home win over Morlaas on Saturday, but the other three did it the hard way on Sunday, with big, ominous away wins for Tyrosse at Mauleon (45-22), Bourg-en-Bresse at Romans (30-6) and Massy at Parisian neighbours Boulogne-Billancourt (50-3).

Home wins were certainly hard to come by in Pools 1 and 2, with Nevers posting the first group's only home victory, and that only by 12 points to 10. Pool 2's Castanet did it rather more comfortably, beating the fancied Nice 33-14.

In Pool 4 Limoges set out their stall with a tight 27-23 win over Lannemezan while Lourdes kicked their way to a 15-9 win over Blagnac.

You can find all the latest Federale 1 results at ItsRugby.fr

Fédérale 1 Pool 3 table: