A strong second-half from Vannes couldn't undo a sloppy first-half against Colomiers, as all eyes turn to the weekend's big Breton derby

Vannes 10 Colomiers 13: A genuine game of two halves at Stade Jo Courtel, Colomiers leading 13-0 at the interval before Vannes gained some pride - and a bonus point - with 10 unanswered points in the second half.

Colomiers put early points on the board through a penalty and drop goal by Yannick Lafforgue as Vannes struggled for possession and territory, and even when they did get into the game they found themselves a man down, flanker Guillaume Robic finding himself sitting out the last 10 minutes of the half.

Just as they were looking forward to a well-earned break having conceded no further points, Vannes suffered the ignominy of conceding a try in first-half injury time, flanker Aurelien Beco going over.

With the match all but out of reach, the Bretons finally got some points on the board in the 51st minute, replacement full back Thomas Lebarillier kicking a penalty, but Colomiers, while lacking the posession they enjoyed in the first period, defended stoutly, and it was only six minutes from time that Vannes added to the scoreline, prop Mikael Garcia getting on the end of an 80-metre break by centre Kevin Burgaud. Lebarillier converted to pull Vannes back to within a score, but Colomiers closed the game out to stay top of the pile and condemnding Vannes to the edge of the drop zone.

There's some comfort to be taken from the fact that Vannes ran Colomiers so close in the end, but the Bretons still only have one win on the board ahead of next week's big derby at Saint-Nazaire.

Second string: Vannes B suffer their first defeat of the campaign, losing 12-18 in the curtain-raiser.

Also in Pool 3: Saint-Junien 25 Saint-Nazaire 32, Saint-Medard 18 Saint-Jean-de-Luz 14, Hagetmau 22 Morlaas 23, Lavaur 23 Langon 23

Next up: Saint-Nazaire vs Vannes, Sunday November 6, Stade de Pré-Hembert, Saint-Nazaire.

It's the big one! The first Breton derby of the season, even though Saint Nazaire isn't strictly in Brittany thanks to a 1956 border rearrangement - a bone of contention that fires the flames of French football's equivalent, the Rennes-Nantes derby.

Les Vannetais have had the edge over les Nazairiens in recent years, finishing ahead of their rivals four times in the last five seasons, our Federale 1 favourites claiming local bragging rights last season with a third-place finish, a full four spots ahead of Saint-Nazaire.

Recent head-to-head records tell a different story of tight encounter with home advantage usually proving crucial.  Saint-Nazaire did do the double over Vannes in the 2009/10 term, but it's Vannes who won the most recent encounter, their 23-15 bonus-point win in March representing the fixture's biggest winning margin in four years!

As it stands it's Saint-Nazaire who have the upper hand in Pool 3, sitting in fifth with 10 points to Vannes eighth and six points. But their season hasn't been without its ups and downs, the excellent opening day win over Saint-Jean-de-Luz and hard-fought 30-35 defeat at Morlaas being tempered by a 15-14 home reverse. Nut les Nazairiens bounced back after the break with a comfortable win at bottom-dwellers Saint-Junien.

Saint-Nazaire's squad features a raft of loyal clubmen like half backs Mathieu Robin and Yann Dorbeaux, flankers Teddy Veuillet and Anthony Le Luron, lock Frederic Fichot and centre Mathieu Mencel, all of whom have served five or more years at Stade de Pré-Hembert. Reinforcements including lock Clyde Mauahiti (formerly of Grasse) and centre Corentin Haentjens (from nearby Fed2 Nantes) arrived in the summer, as did journeyman hooker Gregory Parriel (whose passport features the stamps of Lannemezan, Aubenas and Orleans as well as Top 14 experience with Montauban and Narbonne) and veteran outside-half Bertrand Guilloux, stepping down from Pro D2 after six years with Oyonnax and before that a spell at Montpellier.

The club also boasts the league's only Czech/Belgian prop pairing in Martin Havlicek and Jerome Way and French Rugby's only current Kenyan in winger Ted Omondi, but it's centre Alejandro Krancz who will be worth watching this weekend. The Argentinian arrived in France in 2008 with fellow under-21 international Maximiliano Cocetta to play at Vannes at flanker alongside Italian-Argentinian No.8 Jorge Gonzalez. But after two years at Stade Jo Courtel, Krancz left the growing Argentine contingent to join their arch-rivals. The moves - he switched to centre at his new club - paid off as Krancz, nicknamed Gaucho, scored seven tries last season after just a single effort in two years on the flank at Vannes.

Fly-half Cocetta knows what to expect from his compatriot: "Gaucho is a fighter, very physical and with a lot of heart, but I prefer him in the back row where he has a lot of power," he told Ouest France.

As for Gaucho, his inside knowledge may help Saint-Nazaire to a home win. "Vannes has an aggressive defence with a lot of power, so it's better that my mate Cocetta doesn't get too much ball. He's a very fast player who can convert his chances, a real opportunist."

The news Fed-lines: As well as Vannes' conquerors Colomiers, three other Federale 1 sides can boats 100% records. Pool 1 leaders Lille had already bagged their fourth straight win with a 22-9 victory over Orleans last weekend, while Pool 2 features two perfect records - Bourg-en-Bresse beating Castanet 39-19 and Montauban picking up a bonus point in an eight-try 63-9 victory at a Marseille-Vitrolles side so strapped for cash they're having to field a team of youngsters.

Lourdes and Valence d'Agen head up Poule 4, both unbeaten after their draw in week 3. L'Avenir fought off a late recovery from Lannemezan to win 21-17, while Lourdes had a more comfortable afternoon in their 29-21 victory over Riberac. Away wins for Tyrosse and Limoges (the latter a thrilling 22-21 win at Oloron) keeps them just a point behind the leaders and the four already look a good bet to be Pool 4's play-off representatives.

Vannes' Pool 3 remains the tightest division, with every team picking up at least a bonus point last weekend. It was all-square at Lavaur, where Langon could feel hard done by as they led until the ninth minute of injury time before Lavaur flanker Pascal Mazas scored  the hosts' only try of the match to tie the scores, Cedric Jalabert's conversion slipping agonisingly wide. Langon outside-half Julien Lavie had scored all the visitors' points through a late try, four penalties and two drop goals in the 23-23 draw.

Three teams are still looking for their first win of the season, although of the three it's newly promoted Boulogne-Billancourt who look furthest from any kind of win after Montlucon ran in nine tries on their trip to Paris to win 69-6. The Parisians are without a point from four games, unlike Pool 2's Nimes, who are racking up bonus points despite their failure to win. Their latest close call came at Romans, who themselves got off the mark with a 20-16 win.

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Fédérale 1 Pool 3 table: