2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 season
Introduction The '''2009–10 Rugby Pro D2''' was the second-level French rugby union club competition, behind the Top 14, for the 2009–10 season. It ran alongside the 2009–10 Top 14 competition; both competitions were operated by the Ligue Nationale de Rugby (LNR).Dax and Mont-de-Marsan, the two major clubs from the Landes ''département'', got relegated at the end of the previous Top 14 season and replaced Racing Métro and Albi, who gained promotion to the Top 14.This season also welcomed Lannemezan and Aix-en-Provence, respectively Fédérale 1 champions and runners-up, who took the place of Bourg-en-Bresse and Béziers, the previous year's two bottom finishers.Agen, who had been a favorite for promotion ever since they were relegated at the end of the 2006–07 season, finally lived up to the expectations and dominated the championship from the start, finishing with an 11-point margin over second-placed Lyon and thus earning promotion to the 2010–11 Top 14 season. Lyon and La Rochelle made the most of the home ground advantage to qualify for the promotion final with victories over Pau and Oyonnax, respectively, and faced each other in the final. La Rochelle, despite having lost both confrontations against Lyon during the regular season, triumphed 32–26 and earned the right to accompany Agen in the Top 14 after eight years spent in Pro D2.The two newly promoted teams, Aix-en-Provence and Lannemezan, were not able to rival the other teams and from early on in the season occupied the bottom two places that they kept until the end. Lannemezan in particular finished with three wins out of thirty games (one of which was against arch-rivals Tarbes), amounting to 19 points, the poorest record in the Pro D2 since the introduction of the bonus points.However, in a new twist of events, Montauban, who were already relegated to Pro D2 for financial reasons (thus saving Bayonne's spot in the Top 14), failed their audit on June 10, and were further relegated to Fédérale 1.Their decision not to appeal the DNACG's ruling also meant that Aix would be reprieved and compete again in Pro D2 for the next year.
Previous season At the end of the previous season, Racing Métro were champions and thus automatically promoted to Top 14.They were eventually followed by Albi, who defeated Oyonnax in the final of the promotion playoffs to secure a spot in the 2009–10 Top 14.Bourg-en-Bresse, which had been newly promoted to Pro D2 for the 2008–09 season, finished second-to-bottom of the table and were initially relegated to Fédérale 1, but were further relegated by French sporting authorities to Fédérale 2 due to financial problems. Béziers finished bottom of the league; they would have however stayed in Pro D2 for the next season, had Tarbes not successfully appealed the decision of the DNACG (''Direction nationale d'aide et de contrôle de gestion''), the LNR's financial arm, to relegate them to Fédérale 1.The other promoted team in 2008–09, Colomiers, stayed up, finishing in 14th, the first safe spot.Lannemezan and Aix-en-Provence earned promotion from Fédérale 1 for the 2009–10 season, while Dax and Mont-de-Marsan were relegated from the 2008–09 Top 14.
Competition format The top team at the end of the regular season (after all the teams played one another twice, once at home, once away), is declared champion and earns a spot in the next Top 14 season. Teams ranked second to fifth compete in promotion playoffs, with the semifinals being played at the home ground of the higher-ranked team. The final is then played on neutral ground, and the winner earned the second ticket to the next Top 14.The LNR uses a slightly different bonus points system from that used in most other rugby competitions. It trialled a new system in 2007–08 explicitly designed to prevent a losing team from earning more than one bonus point in a match, a system that also made it impossible for either team to earn a bonus point in a drawn match. LNR chose to continue with this system for subsequent seasons.France's bonus point system operates as follows:* '''4 points''' for a win. * '''2 points''' for a draw. * '''1 "bonus" point''' for winning while scoring at least 3 more tries than the opponent. This replaces the standard bonus point for scoring 4 tries regardless of the match result. * '''1 "bonus" point''' for losing by 7 points (or less).
Season table :'''Key to colors'''     Champions automatically promoted to Top 14     Winner of playoffs between second- through fifth-place teams for the second promotion place     Remaining participants in promotion playoffs     Bottom two teams are relegated to Fédérale 1(Aix were reprieved when Top 14's Montauban were relegated directly to Fédérale 1)'''2009–10 Rugby Pro D2 Table'''ClubPlayedWonDrawnLostPoints forPoints againstDiffBonus pointsPointsHead-to-head 1 '''Agen'''  '''30'''  '''21'''  '''2'''  '''7'''  '''724'''  '''378'''  '''+346'''  '''17'''  '''105'''  2 '''Lyon'''  '''30'''  '''18'''  '''6'''  '''6'''  '''644'''  '''431'''  '''+213'''  '''10'''  '''94'''  Lyon 8–2 3 '''La Rochelle'''  '''30'''  '''19'''  '''2'''  '''9'''  '''607'''  '''396'''  '''+211'''  '''14'''  '''94''' 4 '''Oyonnax'''  '''30'''  '''20'''  '''0'''  '''10'''  '''579'''  '''452'''  '''+127'''  '''9'''  '''89'''  5 '''Pau'''  '''30'''  '''16'''  '''5'''  '''9'''  '''545'''  '''425'''  '''+120'''  '''10'''  '''84'''  Pau 5–4 6 '''Grenoble'''  '''30'''  '''16'''  '''5'''  '''9'''  '''547'''  '''438'''  '''+109'''  '''10'''  '''84''' 7 '''Aurillac'''  '''30'''  '''17'''  '''0'''  '''13'''  '''575'''  '''518'''  '''+57'''  '''8'''  '''76'''  8 '''Narbonne'''  '''30'''  '''16'''  '''0'''  '''14'''  '''581'''  '''585'''  '''−4'''  '''9'''  '''73''' 9 '''Bordeaux-Bègles'''  '''30'''  '''15'''  '''1'''  '''14'''  '''507'''  '''501'''  '''+6'''  '''10'''  '''72''' 10 '''Tarbes'''  '''30'''  '''14'''  '''0'''  '''16'''  '''576'''  '''574'''  '''+2'''  '''14'''  '''70''' 11 '''Dax'''  '''30'''  '''13'''  '''2'''  '''15'''  '''542'''  '''594'''  '''−52'''  '''8'''  '''64''' 12 '''Mont-de-Marsan'''  '''30'''  '''14'''  '''2'''  '''14'''  '''528'''  '''554'''  '''−26'''  '''9'''  '''64''' 13 '''Auch'''  '''30'''  '''9'''  '''1'''  '''20'''  '''472'''  '''635'''  '''−63'''  '''14'''  '''52''' 14 '''Colomiers'''  '''30'''  '''7'''  '''4'''  '''19'''  '''438'''  '''623'''  '''−185'''  '''9'''  '''45''' 15 '''Aix-en-Provence'''  '''30'''  '''6'''  '''2'''  '''22'''  '''426'''  '''737'''  '''−311'''  '''7'''  '''35''' 16 '''Lannemezan'''  '''30'''  '''3'''  '''0'''  '''27'''  '''347'''  '''897'''  '''−550'''  '''7'''  '''19'''* :  Mont-de-Marsan were docked five points by the DNACG due to their failure to act upon their financial difficulties. This penalty also causes them to finish behind Dax in the table despite a better head-to-head record (5–4).
Results ===Key===The score of the game is given by the middle (third and fourth) columns. The first and last column indicate the number of tries scored by the home and the away team, respectively. A blue border indicates that the team has earned an attacking bonus point (i.e. has scored at least three more tries than its opponent), a yellow one that the team has earned a defensive bonus point (defeat by 7 points or less). If a team earns both bonus points, this will be indicated by a green border. ;; Round 1''Saturday 29'' and ''Sunday 30 August''5'''Grenoble''''''39'''10Lannemezan11'''Lyon''''''17'''13Bordeaux-Bègles13'''Narbonne''''''28'''12Pau03'''Auch''''''31'''22Colomiers11'''Aurillac''''''25'''16Oyonnax11'''Mont-de-marsan''''''22'''21La Rochelle01'''Tarbes''''''22'''15Aix-en-Provence01'''Dax''''''16'''13Agen1;; Round 2''Saturday 5'' and ''Sunday 6 September''0Mont-de-marsan9'''12''''''Grenoble'''02'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''23'''21Auch20Aurillac12'''16''''''Pau'''12'''Colomiers''''''19'''13Dax13'''Agen''''''26'''21La Rochelle23'''Oyonnax''''''28'''12Tarbes03'''Lyon''''''36'''14Aix-en-Provence11Lannemezan13'''16''''''Narbonne'''2;; Round 3''Saturday 12'' and ''Sunday 13 September''3'''Auch''''''28'''3Lannemezan03'''Narbonne''''''33'''12Bordeaux-Bègles00Pau9'''13''''''Lyon'''21'''Grenoble''''''22'''12Colomiers03'''Tarbes''''''36'''12Mont-de-marsan 01Aix-en-Provence16'''22''''''La Rochelle'''13'''Dax''''''27'''6Oyonnax03'''Agen''''''21'''6Aurillac0;; Round 4''Friday 18'', ''Saturday 19'' and ''Sunday 20 September''1'''Grenoble''''''16'''15Pau01'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''22'''9Aurillac00Colomiers1212Lyon01'''Oyonnax''''''13'''6Narbonne00'''Mont-de-marsan''''''24'''18Aix-en-Provence01'''La Rochelle''''''16'''6Tarbes02Lannemezan11'''23''''''Dax'''30Auch3'''19''''''Agen'''1;; Round 5''Saturday 26'' and ''Sunday 27 September''1'''La Rochelle''''''22'''6Lannemezan00'''Tarbes''''''15'''12Bordeaux-Bègles01'''Pau''''''16'''14Dax11'''Aurillac''''''22'''12Colomiers00Lyon18'''22''''''Oyonnax'''10Mont-de-marsan6'''16''''''Auch'''10'''Aix-en-Provence''''''24'''19Narbonne11'''Agen''''''22'''16Grenoble1;; Round 6''Saturday 10'' and ''Sunday 11 October''0'''Narbonne''''''15'''12Mont-de-marsan00Pau66La Rochelle01Colomiers1313Aix-en-Provence11Auch14'''19''''''Tarbes'''10Dax99Lyon00'''Grenoble''''''12'''6Aurillac00Bordeaux-Bègles15'''29''''''Agen'''33Lannemezan24'''35''''''Oyonnax'''4;; Round 7''Friday 16'', ''Saturday 17'' and ''Sunday 18 October''3 '''Lyon''''''26''' 6 Auch00'''Aix-en-Provence''''''12'''8Lannemezan11'''Mont-de-marsan''''''16'''12Bordeaux-Bègles01Tarbes22'''23''''''Pau'''11'''Aurillac''''''23'''6Dax00'''Oyonnax''''''12'''10Agen13'''Colomiers''''''19'''13La Rochelle14'''Narbonne''''''32'''0Grenoble0;; Round 8''Saturday 24'' and ''Sunday 25 October''3'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''21'''10Aix-en-Provence12'''Agen''''''20'''14Pau13'''Oyonnax''''''31'''15Colomiers21'''Tarbes''''''28'''18Grenoble23'''Dax''''''22'''14Auch12'''Aurillac''''''15'''3Narbonne00La Rochelle18 '''19''''''Lyon'''11Lannemezan16'''18''''''Mont-de-marsan'''2;; Round 9''31 October and 1 November''  Lyon – Tarbes was postponed to 15 November afteran H1N1 flu outbreak amongst Tarbes players''Saturday 31 October'', ''Sunday 1'' and ''Sunday 15 November''2'''Colomiers''''''17''' 13Lannemezan12'''Pau''''''17'''11Bordeaux-Bègles10Aix-en-Provence3'''16''''''Oyonnax'''15'''Agen''''''37'''8Mont-de-marsan10Grenoble99La Rochelle03'''Auch''''''34'''23Aurillac10Dax3'''17''''''Narbonne'''25'''Lyon''''''43'''14Tarbes1;; Round 10''Saturday 7'' and ''Sunday 8 November''1'''Oyonnax''''''16'''9Pau00Mont-de-marsan1515Lyon03'''Aurillac''''''38'''19Aix-en-Provence13'''La Rochelle''''''29'''10Dax10Auch15'''17''''''Grenoble'''11Lannemezan11'''41''''''Agen'''53'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''31'''9Colomiers04'''Narbonne''''''27'''20Tarbes3;; Round 11''Saturday 21'' and ''Sunday 22 November''3'''Pau''''''25'''12Lannemezan01Aix-en-Provence13'''15''''''Grenoble'''23'''La Rochelle''''''20'''6Auch03'''Lyon''''''20'''8Narbonne11'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''17'''10Oyonnax11Colomiers16'''21''''''Agen'''21'''Mont-de-marsan''''''16'''5Dax11Tarbes11'''13''''''Aurillac'''1;; Round 12''Saturday 28'', ''Sunday 29 November'' and ''Wednesday 23 December''5'''Agen''''''29'''3Aix-en-Provence01'''Aurillac''''''25'''22La Rochelle31'''Dax''''''19'''16Tarbes10Grenoble99Lyon00Auch27'''32''''''Narbonne'''20Lannemezan9'''16''''''Bordeaux-Bègles'''15'''Oyonnax''''''36'''10Mont-de-marsan14'''Pau''''''38'''5Colomiers1;; Round 13''Friday 4'', ''Saturday 5'' and ''Sunday 6 December''1'''Lyon''''''22'''10Aurillac10Tarbes12'''13''''''Lannemezan'''14'''La Rochelle''''''27'''13Bordeaux-Bègles12'''Aix-en-Provence''''''21'''16Pau11Colomiers10'''15''''''Mont-de-marsan'''21'''Oyonnax''''''25'''18Auch20'''Dax''''''15'''8Grenoble11'''Narbonne''''''22'''16Agen2;; Round 14''Saturday 12'' and ''Sunday 13 December''0'''Mont-de-marsan''''''18'''14Pau11'''Tarbes''''''28'''21Colomiers00Lyon9'''10''''''Agen'''14'''Auch''''''35'''14Aix-en-Provence11'''Narbonne''''''16'''13La Rochelle10Lannemezan9'''16''''''Aurillac'''12'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''17'''16Dax12'''Grenoble''''''21'''13Oyonnax1;; Round 15''18, 19 and 20 December''  Aurillac – Mont-de-Marsan was postponed to 14 Februarydue to poor climatic conditions in Aurillac  Lannemezan – Lyon was postponed to 24 April due toheavy snowfalls in the Hautes-Pyrénées ''département''''Friday 18'', ''Saturday 19'', ''Sunday 20 December'', ''Sunday 14 February'' and ''Sunday 24 April''0Pau33Auch01Bordeaux-Bègles1414Grenoble14'''Colomiers''''''35'''13Narbonne14'''Agen''''''32'''14Tarbes10Aix-en-Provence6'''15''''''Dax'''23La Rochelle21'''26''''''Oyonnax'''25'''Aurillac''''''36'''12Mont-de-marsan01Lannemezan17'''30''''''Lyon'''2;; Round 16''9 and 10 January''  Aix-en-Provence – Tarbes was postponed to 13 Februarydue to poor climatic conditions in Aix  Colomiers – Auch and Agen – Dax were postponed to14 February due to a frozen pitch and heavy snowfalls,respectively''Saturday 9'', ''Sunday 10 January'', ''Saturday 13'' and ''Sunday 14 February''5'''Pau''''''46'''7Narbonne12'''Oyonnax''''''13'''10Aurillac13'''La Rochelle''''''25'''20Mont-de-marsan21Lannemezan10'''43''''''Grenoble'''63'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''27'''9Lyon01Aix-en-Provence19'''21''''''Tarbes'''30Colomiers6'''9''''''Auch'''02'''Agen''''''23'''6Dax0;; Round 17''Saturday 16'' and ''Sunday 17 January''8'''Narbonne''''''56'''10Lannemezan11'''Auch''''''17'''6Bordeaux-Bègles02'''Pau''''''21'''14Aurillac11'''Dax''''''10'''0Colomiers01'''Tarbes''''''13'''9Oyonnax00Aix-en-Provence1212Lyon01'''La Rochelle'''2010Agen11'''Grenoble''''''14'''9Mont-de-marsan0;; Round 18''Saturday 23'' and ''Sunday 24 January''2'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''21'''12Narbonne01Colomiers1010Grenoble12'''Oyonnax''''''29'''10Dax10'''Mont-de-marsan''''''18'''12Tarbes04'''La Rochelle''''''37'''3Aix-en-Provence01'''Aurillac''''''19'''17Agen21Lannemezan10'''17''''''Auch'''11Lyon2222Pau1;; Round 19''Saturday 30'' and ''Sunday 31 January''4'''Dax''''''34'''8Lannemezan10'''Aurillac''''''12'''7Bordeaux-Bègles10Narbonne6'''13''''''Oyonnax'''12'''Agen''''''21'''6Auch02'''Aix-en-Provence''''''20'''18Mont-de-marsan21Tarbes7'''12''''''La Rochelle'''02'''Pau''''''26'''3Grenoble07'''Lyon''''''50'''10Colomiers1;; Round 20''Saturday 6'' and ''Sunday 7 February''0Grenoble1212Agen01'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''16'''9Tarbes00Dax33Pau01'''Colomiers''''''13'''9Aurillac00Auch3'''19''''''Mont-de-marsan'''17'''Narbonne''''''43'''10Aix-en-Provence13'''Oyonnax''''''21'''6Lyon01Lannemezan5'''31''''''La Rochelle'''3;; Round 21''Saturday 20'' and ''Sunday 21 February''1'''Mont-de-marsan''''''17'''6Narbonne02'''Agen''''''21'''16Bordeaux-Bègles14'''Oyonnax''''''29'''0Lannemezan00Aix-en-Provence12'''25''''''Colomiers'''11'''Tarbes''''''19'''13Auch12'''Lyon''''''26'''6Dax00'''Aurillac''''''24'''21Grenoble24'''La Rochelle''''''32'''0Pau0;; Round 22''Saturday 27'' and ''Sunday 28 February''2'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''24'''21Mont-de-marsan21'''Pau''''''16'''15Tarbes01'''La Rochelle''''''11'''6Colomiers01'''Dax''''''22'''13Aurillac12Auch18'''25''''''Lyon'''12'''Grenoble''''''27'''14Narbonne23'''Lannemezan''''''32'''28Aix-en-Provence32'''Agen''''''23'''11Oyonnax1;; Round 23''Saturday 6'' and ''Sunday 7 March''2'''Lyon''''''20'''14La Rochelle16'''Mont-de-marsan''''''46'''6Lannemezan01'''Aix-en-Provence''''''13'''10Bordeaux-Bègles11'''Grenoble''''''22'''20Tarbes12Auch15'''21''''''Dax'''01'''Narbonne''''''25'''9Aurillac01Pau1616Agen10Colomiers12'''13''''''Oyonnax'''1;; Round 24''Saturday 13'' and ''Sunday 14 March''3'''Lannemezan''''''24'''22Colomiers14'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''31'''13Pau25'''Oyonnax''''''36'''18Aix-en-Provence23'''Tarbes''''''22'''16Lyon13'''Narbonne''''''24'''18Dax22'''Aurillac''''''24'''15Auch02'''La Rochelle''''''25'''21Grenoble22'''Mont-de-marsan''''''18'''12Agen0;; Round 25''Saturday 27'' and ''Sunday 28 March''3'''Lyon''''''26'''6Mont-de-marsan06'''Agen''''''43'''3Lannemezan01Colomiers20'''22''''''Bordeaux-Bègles'''10Aix-en-Provence18'''23''''''Aurillac'''22'''Tarbes''''''23'''11Narbonne11Dax13'''17''''''La Rochelle'''11'''Grenoble''''''19'''0Auch01'''Pau''''''17'''6Oyonnax0;; Round 26''Saturday 3'' and ''Sunday 4 April''1'''Oyonnax''''''16'''6Bordeaux-Bègles03'''Agen''''''31'''3Colomiers01'''Dax''''''19'''15Mont-de-marsan04'''Grenoble''''''28'''5Aix-en-Provence13'''Aurillac''''''36'''18Tarbes20Auch3'''9''''''La Rochelle'''00Lannemezan15'''21''''''Pau'''20Narbonne3'''27''''''Lyon'''4;; Round 27''Saturday 10'' and ''Sunday 11 April''1Aix-en-Provence10'''31''''''Agen'''46'''Bordeaux-Bègles''''''46'''17Lannemezan20Colomiers12'''29''''''Pau'''22La Rochelle21'''22''''''Aurillac'''16'''Tarbes''''''40'''21Dax33'''Narbonne''''''20'''19Auch32'''Mont-de-marsan''''''31'''26Oyonnax22'''Lyon''''''27'''19Grenoble2;; Round 28''Saturday 17'' and ''Sunday 18 April''1'''Lannemezan'''16'''39''''''Tarbes'''51Bordeaux-Bègles14'''28''''''La Rochelle'''46'''Pau''''''45'''10Aix-en-Provence12Mont-de-marsan2929Colomiers35'''Auch''''''36'''20Oyonnax24'''Grenoble''''''28'''5Dax10Aurillac18'''25''''''Lyon'''38'''Agen''''''57'''12Narbonne2;; Round 29''Saturday 1'' and ''Sunday 2 May''6'''Aurillac''''''45'''3Lannemezan01Dax8'''9''''''Bordeaux-Bègles'''00'''Pau''''''18'''6Mont-de-marsan02'''Aix-en-Provence''''''23'''14Auch24'''La Rochelle''''''36'''21Narbonne24'''Agen''''''34'''11Lyon11'''Colomiers''''''16'''14Tarbes12'''Oyonnax''''''26'''19Grenoble1;; Round 30''Sunday 9 May''6'''Lyon''''''44'''13Lannemezan15'''Grenoble''''''33'''3Bordeaux-Bègles02Auch16'''19''''''Pau'''15'''Narbonne''''''34'''17Colomiers20Oyonnax6'''9''''''La Rochelle'''02'''Tarbes''''''29'''27Agen45'''Mont-de-marsan''''''42'''15Aurillac25'''Dax''''''33'''24Aix-en-Provence4
Promotion playoffs All times CEST.===Semi-finals===----===Final===
See also * 2009–10 Top 14 season
Notes and references
External links *  LNR.fr