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A nationwide wipe-out of Federale fixtures means it's as you were for Vannes and their 39 Fed1 rivals
Vannes vs Langon - postponed: Warnings of icy weather across France prompted the French Rugby Federation to postpone the entire Federale leagues programme, including all 19 fixtures in week 12 of Federale 1.
Second string: The teams' 'B' outing went the same way.
Next up: Colomiers vs Vannes, Sunday February 12, Stade Michel Bendichou, Colomiers.
Weather permitting, it's 1st versus 2nd in Pool 3 of Federale 1 this weekend, as Vannes attempt to end Colomiers' 100% record. The Toulouse side are the last unbeaten team across the four pools, and firm favourites to return to Pro D2 in May.
Victory for Vannes, as well as keeping the chasing pack at bay, would build on the teams' fixture back in late October, when the Bretons bounced back from a 13-0 half-time deficit to score 10 unopposed points and earn a bonus point courtesy of Mikael Garcia's late try.
Colomiers' last outing saw them chalk up their biggest score of the season, a seven-try 52-3 victory over Saint-Medard, but their 11-match run has been built on tight defence rather than free-flowing try-fests. While the 1999 Heineken Cup runners-up are only the ninth highest scorers in the league (their 27 tries shared between an impressive 19 players), their defence is the best in Fed1, with only six tries and 115 points conceded.
It should come as no surprise that Colomiers are solid favourites to bounce back to Pro D2 at the first attempt. They came within a single point of sending Dax into amateur rugby last season, and the arrival of former Top 14 coach Pierre-Henri Broncan and former top-flight players like centres Florian Nicot and Alban Genthieu outside-half Yannick Lafforgue has succeeded in making them the most professional outfit in the third tier.
If Vannes don't manage to hand Colomiers their first win, at least they can be reassured that on their arrival in Toulouse's biggest suburb (population 33,200), they won't have to spend a cent to have a look round town - in 1971 Colomiers became the first area of France to offer free public transport. Whether the Numero 33 will take them the full 703km home gratuit is another matter...
The News Fed-lines: All games off. Comprenez-vous?!
You can find all the latest Federale 1 results at ItsRugby.fr
Fédérale 1 Pool 3 table:
| 1 |
Colomiers |
11
|
11
|
0 |
0 |
268
|
115 |
153 |
3
|
0 |
47 |
| 2 |
Vannes |
11
|
7
|
0 |
4
|
196 |
167 |
29 |
1
|
3
|
32 |
| 3 |
Lavaur |
10
|
6
|
1 |
3
|
191 |
186 |
5
|
0 |
1 |
27 |
| 4 |
St-Jean-de-Luz
|
11 |
5 |
0 |
6 |
211 |
181 |
30 |
0 |
6 |
26 |
| 5 |
Langon |
11 |
5 |
1 |
5
|
217 |
207 |
10 |
0 |
4
|
26 |
6
|
Saint-Nazaire |
11
|
4 |
0 |
7
|
220 |
218 |
2
|
1 |
6
|
23
|
| 7 |
Saint-Junien |
11
|
4 |
0 |
7
|
199 |
205 |
-6 |
0 |
6
|
22
|
| 8 |
Hagetmau |
11 |
4 |
0 |
7
|
180 |
227 |
-47 |
0 |
4 |
20 |
9
|
Saint-Medard |
10
|
4 |
0 |
6
|
116
|
183 |
-59 |
0 |
3 |
19 |
| 10 |
Morlaas |
11 |
3 |
0 |
8 |
153 |
262 |
-109 |
0 |
4 |
16 |
|