PR preview of Agen (not sure if it was posted before...)

[fungalboy]

Top 14 preview - Agen
Tuesday August 15 2006
Welcome to the Stade Armandie
We take an in-depth look at the runners and the riders of the 2006/07 Top 14 ahead of the new season. Today we tackle Agen...




One to watch: Kees Meeuws




AGEN

Last time around: Success! Agen's run through the second half of the season, winning nine and losing just four of their matches, saw them up to fifth place and into the Heineken Cup. It was a run that included, among other things, a 33-14 win over Perpignan, a quite superb 42-3 demolition of Clermont Auvergne at the Armandie, and two half-centuries of points in the final two matches. It was all a distant cry from the disgrace of Bourgoin, where Luc Lafforgue was suspended for seventy days for his role in starting a mass brawl as Agen crumbled to a hapless 33-6 defeat. Rupeni Caucaunibuca was the try-scoring hero during the season, once again finishing the Top 14's top try-scorer with 17 tries. The Challenge Cup campaign rather fell by the wayside as the team pushed for Top 14 glory, and the Agenais tumbled out at the pool stage.

This time? It all looked so good in May, but the French summer has not been kind. Both trainers left, as did old heads Christian Califano, Jean-Jacques Crenca, and Jean-Baptiste Rué - an entire grizzled front row of experience. Rupeni - 'Rups' as he is known to the faithful - has returned from Fiji some 12kg lighter after contracting a tropical virus, and livewire scrum-half Matthieu Barrau is out until 2007 after a knee ligament injury. With numerous other comings and goings at the club, new coach Didier Faugeron would appear to have quite a task on his hands to get the team flowing as it was three months ago. In the Heineken Cup, things could get interesting for Califano, who will return to the Armandie with new club Gloucester expecting a fierce reception. Gloucester and Leinster ought to be too good for Agen though, and they should perhaps concentrate on the Top 14.

Captain: Luc Lafforgue is a feisty little package, as both his fight-sparking punch in Bourgoin and his brutally honest interview afterwards revealed ("He insulted me, so I hit him"). However, the wing - equally adept at centre - also punches well above his weight in the tackle, and he is a natural leader. Has been at Agen for many years now, and was the natural successor to Jean-Jacques Crenca.

One to watch: Califano and Crenca may be gone, but Kees Meeuws is not a bad replacement provided he sticks with the job this time rather than upsetting the committee as he did at Castres last year. Meeuws was at one point averaging a try a game! In the backs, full-back Pepito Elhorga has fallen by the wayside a bit in international terms, but still possesses a flair and turn of acceleration that will damage many a Top 14 defence this season.

In: Didier Faugeron (coach, Brive), Loïc Van der Linden (coach, Chalon-sur-Saône), Laurent Cabarry (Mont-de-Marsan), Ace Tiatia (Pau), Kees Meeuws (Castres), Arnaud Mignardi (Auch), Thomas Soucaze (Pau), Peïo Som (Pau), Mathieu Barrau (Castres), Rambo Tavana (Apia West, Samoa), Pietman Van Niekerk (Cats, South Africa), Eusebio Guinazu (Toulon), Adri Badenhorst (Stormers, South Africa), Willem Stoltz (Cats, South Africa), Billy Fulton (Bath).

Out: Christian Lanta (coach, Lyon), Christophe Deylaud (coach, sabbatical), Régis Sonnes (coach, Narbonne), Jean-Jacques Crenca (Toulon), Christian Califano (Gloucester, England), Patrice Blanco (Montauban), Santiago Dellape (Biarritz), Damien Fèvre (Bourgoin), Aaron Persico (Calvisano), Damian Costanzo (Pau), Jean-Baptiste Rué (Toulon), Aca Ratuva (Massy), Sebastian Larguet (Colomiers), Ariel Castellina (Lyon), Julien Tilloles (Bayonne)

Colours: White and blue

Club info:

Stade Armandie (12,000 seats)
1, rue Pierre de Coubertin
47000 Agen

Tickets: €5-32

Travel Connections: Bordeaux international airport is less than two hours away, and low-cost airlines also fly very cheaply to Bergerac airport, which is no more than ninety minutes away. Agen has good TGV connections to Bordeaux, Toulouse, and Paris.