The real big game of the weekend - Colomiers vs Vannes - was cancelled as thoughts turn to this weekend's Breton derby

Colomiers vs Vannes - postponed: Vannes were frozen out for the second week in a row as their top-two clash at Colomiers fell foul to the cold weather, so the garcons had a runout against local side Trignac instead.

Second string: The 'B' team curtain raiser went the same way.

Also in Pool 3: Saint-Nazaire 33 Saint-Junien 6. All other games postponed.

Next up: Vannes vs Saint-Nazaire, Sunday February 19, Stade Jo Courtel, Vannes.

Pool 3 of Federale 1 is so tight that Vannes' local rivals occupy third place despite a win-loss record of 5:7, and seem to have hit a purple patch as the business end of the season approaches. The Loire-Atlantique team are the bonus-point kings of the pool, picking up six losing points from their seven defeats (with the trip to Colomiers proving the exception), before adding to the try bonus column on their last two outings with 34-3 and 33-6 wins over Morlaas and Saint-Junien respectively.

All the more reason, then, for les Nazairiens to be kicking themselves over narrow late defeats to Saint-Medard (Jean-Baptiste Dion's 77th minute penalty sealing a 15-14 away win), at Lavaur (SNR lost 17-18 courtesy of a 78th minute penalty try) and at home to Hagetmau, for whom Julien Langlade converted his own try with the last play of the match to win 16-12. To put it bluntly, if rugby matches lasted 75 minutes Saint-Nazaire would be running away with second place, but they don't and they aren't.

The match at Stade Jo Courtel has added spice as Vannes, 23-16 winners at Stade de Pré-Hembert in November, seek to do the double over their Breton (in spirit, if not in legal terms since a border reorganisation in 1956) neighbours for the first time since the pair found themselves in the same Federale league. That day the teams scored a try each, with Thomas Lebarillier's five penalties and a drop goal keeping the visitors ahead throughout.

All eyes that day were on former Vannes centre Alejandro Krancz at the heart Saint-Nazaire's lively threequarter line, but les Vannetais would do as well to marshall Fijian winger Lambert Kuruvoli, whose four tries have helped yank the club up the table, and scrum-half Mathieu Robin, whose sniping runs have claimed three tries to date. In fact, danger lurks throughout, with Saint-Nazaire boasting the second-highest try tally in the pool with 19, nine behind Colomiers but only two ahead of Vannes, and 13 different players getting in on the act including young Czech prop Martin Havlicek.

Weather permitting, we're expecting a high-scoring battle this weekend, but think our Federale 1 favourites can prevent Saint-Nazaire making it three in a row and further staking their claim on second place in the pool.

The News Fed-lines: Four games survived the freezing conditions that continue to grip Europe, although there was no rhyme nor reason as the four stretched from Saint-Nazaire in the northwest to Nice in the southeast. Vannes' next opponents Saint-Nazaire climbed into third place with a 33-6 victory over Saint-Junien, No.8 Thomas Brau, Fijian winger Lambert Kuruvoli and Kenyan full back Ted Omondi scored a try each to claim a bonus point that lifted the erstwhile Bretons up from sixth to within touching distance of les Vannetais.

In Pool 4 leaders Tyrosse laboured to a 21-14 win over eighth-placed Marmande, opening up an eight-point gap at the top. Winger Clement Albaladejo - grandson of Dax and France legend Pierre - seemed to have put les Tyrossais en route to a big win with two early tries, but prop Cedric Bachelot hit back with a try for the visitors who held out for a deserved bonus point. In the same group Blagnac missed a chance to consolidate fourth place with their 6-16 defeat at lowly Mauleon.

In Pool 2 Saint-Etienne used the white-out to put the pressure on fourth-placed La Seyne, drawing level on 32 points with a 23-19 victory at Nice. Their rivals have a game in hand of course, but there's nothing like putting points on the board...

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

Fédérale 1 Pool 3 table: