Northern Edition

Select Edition

Northern Northern
Southern Southern
Global Global
New Zealand New Zealand
France France

The difficult third season for All Black laden Pau

Colin Slade has no regrets about joining Top 14 side Pau

Things are moving fast at ambitious Top 14 side Pau – or Section Paloise, to give the club its Sunday name.

ADVERTISEMENT

Three seasons ago, Simon Mannix’s side won the Pro D2 so easily that to use the canter cliche would suggest an inaccurately high expulsion of effort on their part.

Suffice to say, they started recruiting for their first season in the Top 14 since 2006 more than a month before the end of the regular season. And, yes, that meant they were able to tempt World Cup-fresh All Blacks Conrad Smith and Colin Slade to their ranks.

They finished a perfectly respectable 11th in their first season back in the French top flight.

But they did not rest on their laurels. The following season, last season, was even better. Three weeks from the end of the regular 2016/17 campaign, the club in the shadow of the Pyrenees in southwest France, occupied a sought-after play-off place, ahead of more illustrious sides such as Stade Francais, Bordeaux, Racing 92, or troubled Toulouse.

They fell away at the end, however, to finish ninth, five points off the pace, as injuries to key players – including both Slade and Smith – took their toll.

That Mannix and his cohorts were devastated with their run-in performance reveals the ambition of the club – and the on-field vision is being matched off the pitch.

More savvy recruitment means Slade, Smith, Dan Ramsay, Jamie Mackintosh and Tom Taylor, who joined from Toulon at the start of last season, will be joined by fellow New Zealanders Benson Stanley, Franck Halai and Peter Saili.

ADVERTISEMENT

Mannix is also keen to point out the homegrown talent in the club – mentioning boys from the Bearn stuff Quentin Lespiaucq, Thibault Daubagna and Bastien Pourailly in dispatches when quizzed on the number of All Blacks populating key playing positions. Big things are expected this season of young stars Lespiaucq and Daubagna, in particular.

Beyond the white lines, the club’s ambitions are equally apparent. Work is almost finished on expanding Stade du Hameau from 14,000 to 18,500 seats, to complement the still shiny new training complex that was inaugurated at the beginning of last season. The expansion includes new changing rooms and improved hospitality suites.

Now, the team has to standards demanded by the facilities.

As ever, Mannix is coy about his side’s chances. “If we work well, we will play well and we will win our games,” he told Rugbyrama recently. But he – as well as club bosses and fans – wants Pau to challenge for the top six finish, and the play-off place and European Champions Cup qualification that goes with it.

ADVERTISEMENT

It will be tough. At least 10 sides, including Pau, have serious and genuine top six ambitions going into the new campaign. And the club have to tighten up in defence so they don’t lose as often at home – they gave up four points on their own turf four times last season.

How Pau’s season shakes out will depend on turning the attractive Hameau into a fortress.

ADVERTISEMENT

LIVE

{{item.title}}

Trending on RugbyPass

Comments

0 Comments
Be the first to comment...

Join free and tell us what you really think!

Sign up for free
ADVERTISEMENT

Latest Features

Comments on RugbyPass

O
Oh no, not him again? 2 hours ago
England internationals disagree on final play execution vs All Blacks

Okay, so we blew it big time on Saturday. So rather than repeating what most people have all ready said, what do I want to see from Borthwick going forward?


Let's keep Marcus Smith on the pitch if he's fit and playing well. I was really pleased with his goal kicking. It used to be his weakness. I feel sympathy for George Ford who hadn't kicked all match and then had a kick to win the game. You hear pundits and commentators commend kickers who have come off the bench and pulled that off. Its not easy. If Steve B continues to substitute players with no clear reason then he is going to get criticised.


On paper I thought England would beat NZ if they played to their potential and didn't show NZ too much respect. Okay, the off the ball tackles certainly stopped England scoring tries, but I would have liked to see more smashing over gainlines and less kicking for position. Yes, I also know it's the Springbok endorsed world cup double winning formula but the Kiwi defence isn't the Bok defence, is it. If you have the power to put Smith on the front foot then why muzzle him? I guess what I'm saying is back, yourself. Why give the momentum to a team like NZ? Why feed the beast? Don't give the ball to NZ. Well d'uh.


Our scrum is a long term weakness. If you are going to play Itoje then he needs an ogre next door and a decent front row. Where is our third world class lock? Where are are realible front row bench replacements? The England scrum has been flakey for a while now. It blows hot and cold. Our front five bench is not world class.


On the positive side I love our starting backrow right now. I'd like to see them stick together through to the next world cup.


Anyway, there is always another Saturday.

7 Go to comments
C
CO 3 hours ago
Scott Robertson responds to criticism over All Blacks' handling errors

Robertson is more a manager of coaches than a coach so it comes down to intent of outcomes at a high level. I like his intent, I like the fact his Allblacks are really driving the outcomes however as he's pointed out the high error rates are not test level and their control of the game is driving both wins and losses. England didn't have to play a lot of rugby, they made far fewer mistakes and were extremely unlucky not to win.


In fact the English team were very early in their season and should've been comfortably beaten by an Allblacks team that had played multiple tests together.


Razor has himself recognised that to be the best they'll have to sort out the crisis levels of mistakes that have really increased since the first two tests against England.


Early tackles were a classic example of hyper enthusiasm to not give an inch, that passion that Razor has achieved is going to be formidable once the unforced errors are eliminated.


That's his secret, he's already rebuilt the passion and that's the most important aspect, its inevitable that he'll now eradicate the unforced errors. When that happens a fellow tier one nation is going to get thrashed. I don't think it will be until 2025 though.


The Allblacks will lose both tests against Ireland and France if they play high error rates rugby like they did against England.


To get the unforced errors under control he's going to be needing to handover the number eight role to Sititi and reset expectations of what loose forwards do. Establish a clear distinction with a large, swarthy lineout jumper at six that is a feared runner and dominant tackler and a turnover specialist at seven that is abrasive in contact. He'll then need to build depth behind the three starters and ruthlessly select for that group to be peaking in 2027 in hit Australian conditions on firm, dry grounds.


It's going to help him that Savea is shifting to the worst super rugby franchise where he's going to struggle behind a beaten pack every week.


The under performing loose forward trio is the key driver of the high error rates and unacceptable turn overs due to awol link work. Sititi is looking like he's superman compared to his openside and eight.


At this late stage in the season they shouldn't be operating with just the one outstanding loose forward out of four selected for the English test. That's an abject failure but I think Robertson's sacrificing link quality on purpose to build passion amongst the junior Allblacks as they see the reverential treatment the old warhorses are receiving for their long term hard graft.


It's unfortunately losing test matches and making what should be comfortable wins into nail biters but it's early in the world cup cycle so perhaps it's a sacrifice worth making.


However if this was F1 then Sam Cane would be Riccardo and Ardie would be heading into Perez territory so the loose forwards desperately need revitalisation through a rebuild over the next season to complement the formidable tight five.

28 Go to comments
LONG READ
LONG READ The joy, spirit and obstacles of the rugby pilgrim The joy, spirit and obstacles of the rugby pilgrim
Search