Agen and Again

By BrianC
December 8 2005

Over the next two weekends we play games home and away to Agen that will almost certainly determine if we are to have a place in the quarter-finals of the ECC next April.

Like ourselves, Agen have already beaten the other two teams in our pool, Parma and Pau. Like ourselves Agen will be looking to secure victory in both these games and to have a quarter final place secured in advance of the final pool fixtures next month.

Agen currently sit 9th (Out of 14) in the French league. Of their twelve outings thus far this season they have won five and lost seven. Last weekend they went down narrowly at Narbonne. Their victories thus far this season have included the scalps of Brive and Biarritz. Proof, if it were needed, that these boys can hold their own with the strongest of teams.

The Agen official website, whilst quite comprehensive in other respects, gives very little information on the current squad. A bit more can be gleaned from the ERC site which lists a squad of 37 including a reasonable sprinkling of internationals. They have never won this competition but were runners up to Colomiers in 97/98.

A group of LI supporters went to see them beat Scottish Borders whilst on tour to Montauban a couple of years ago. The impressions that have been passed on to me are: “They're a huge team”, “On the night they were extremely feisty with at least 4 or 5 fights on the field” and “They made Dodie Weir look silly”. 

Whilst it is a sweeping generalization to say so, French clubs tend not to travel very well but defend their home patches stoutly. I am thus expecting us to shade our fixture at the Madejski and to struggle at the Stade Armandie. 13 - 20 away win at Pau in October could thus end up being crucial to us qualifying for the quarter-finals. 

Make no mistake about it, these are crunch games, the outcome of which will shape the end of our season, perhaps even a HC place come the end.