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Agen relegated to ProD2 and on track for worst season in league's history

Jean-François Fonteneau /Getty Images

Agen were officially relegated from the Top 14 on Friday night, despite six games remaining until the season has run its course.

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Agen have endured a nightmare campaign in which they have lost all of their 20 of the games to date, with their fate sealed after 13th placed Pau bested 12th placed Bayonne 43-33 last night.

That result has opened up an unassailable gap between Agen with just two bonus points and Pau with 36 points and Bayonne on 39.

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Racing 92’s Kurtley Beale talks to The Offload:

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Racing 92’s Kurtley Beale talks to The Offload:

Their season is likely to be the worst in the history of the competition. In 2010 Bourgain ended the season with 11 points, leaving SUA with 9 points to make up in their final six games. Given that they are yet to record a single win and face the likes of Racing 92, La Rochelle, Toulon and Lyon in the weeks ahead, that looks like a tall task.

Agen sacked their coaching ticket after they shipped a massive loss away to Bordeaux Begles back in November. Manager Christophe Laussucq and forwards coach Rémi Vaquin were sacked, seemingly at the behest of club president Jean-François Fonteneau after they fell to a humiliating 5-71 defeat. It was the seventh loss in a row for the club.

Fonteneau publically berated the players and coaches at the time, but the season was not to improve.

 

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M
MA 3 hours ago
How the four-team format will help the Wallabies defeat the Lions

In regards to Mack Hansen, Tuipoloto and others who talent wasnt 'seen'..

If we look at acting, soccer and cricket as examples, Hugh Jackman, the Heminsworths in acting; Keith Urban in Nashville, Mike Hussey and various cricketers who played in UK and made the Australian team; and many soccer players playing overseas.


My opinion is that perhaps the ' 'potential' or latent talent is there, but it's just below the surface.


ANd that decision, as made by Tane Edmed, Noah, Will Skelton to go overseas is the catalyst to activate the latent and bring it to the surface.


Based on my personal experience of leaving Oz and spending 14 months o/s, I was fully away from home and all usual support systems and past memories that reminded me of the past.


Ooverseas, they weren't there. I had t o survive, I could invent myself as who I wanted, and there was no one to blame but me.


It bought me alive, focused my efforts towards what I wanted and people largely accepted me for who I was and how I turned up.


So my suggestion is to make overseas scholarships for younger players and older too so they can benefit from the value offered by overseas coaching acumen, established systems, higher intensity competition which like the pressure that turns coal into diamonds, can produce more Skeltons, Arnold's, Kellaways and the like.


After the Lion's tour say, create 20 x $10,000 scholarships for players to travel and play overseas.


Set up a HECS style arrangement if necessary to recycle these funds ongoingly.


Ooverseas travel, like parenthood or difficult life situations brings out people's physical and emotional strengths in my own experiences, let's use it in rugby.

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