Pro D2 – Week 4 Preview

The Pro D2 continues with week 4 taking place from Thursday through Sunday. All sixteen teams will be in action and there are to be a range of players from the Americas involved. The following is a preview detailing activities from the Western Hemisphere.

This week’s one Thursday fixture will be between former Top 14 clubs Oyonnax and Bayonne. The visitors have named an Argentine and a Chilean in their 23. Martín Bustos Moyano starts at fullback while Ramón Ayarza has been named as the replacement hooker.

Week 4 of the Pro D2 will go into overdrive on Friday with six matches taking place. First up will be Charente at home against Aurillac. The replacements of both teams are to feature Americas players. Prop Joel Sclavi will look to come on for the home side while Christian Ostberg will cover the back-row for the visitors.

Jamie Cudmore’s Aix en Provence play host to Vannes in a 7th vs 8th match. Playing in the match will be Javier Lagioiosa. The Argentine forward will start in the second-row for Vannes.

300km to the west in Carcassonne another uncapped Argentine second-rower will be involved. Demian Panizzo will feature from the bench against Colomiers. The visitors will have Sebastián Poet on the bench and Agustín Costa Repetto starting at hooker. Poet has been linked to a move to Los Jaguares for 2019.

Surrounded by financial questioning Biarritz go into their home game against Bourg en Bresse under fire. The match will see the involvement of Argentine prop Victor Damian Arias. He has been named on the bench for the visitors to play against his former club.

There players from the Americas will play from the bench for Mont de Marsan against Montauban. Uruguayan Agustín Ormaechea while Carlos Muzzio will be the replacement loose head. Ormaechea played in RWC 2015 and is all but certain to play in RWC 2019. Looking to also be involved is Leandro Cedaro. The northern Argentine lock is capped by Italy.

The final fixture of Week 4 will take place on Sunday. In a throwback to the amateur era Brive are at home against Béziers. Line-ups for this match will not be announced until Saturday Afternoon.