Dax without Paul Ausset until the spring

Dax have lost one of their most used forwards. The Landes club confirmed Paul Ausset’s diagnosis on Tuesday 29 September, after he was injured in the win over Nice.

The back-rower went off in the 8th minute of Dax v Nice (45-17) on 25 September, after a dangerous challenge by Nice’s Mapu, who was sent off. Scans confirmed a detached left hamstring. According to Sud Ouest, surgery is scheduled for early October and recovery is estimated at six to eight months, so a return before the spring is not on the cards.

An automatic starter

Ausset joined from Toulouse in 2022 and went with Dax from Nationale to Pro D2. Last season he started 20 of his 21 Pro D2 matches, playing 1,560 minutes and scoring five tries. Only Charlie Matthews and Arnaud Aletti played more minutes in the Dax squad.

He had started all four matches he played this season, scoring two tries. In all, he has 59 Pro D2 appearances for Dax, 54 of them as a starter, and 11 tries.

A medical joker under consideration

At number 8, Dax can call on Sam Wasley and Ben Sa’u, although Sa’u is recovering from a calf injury. Sud Ouest adds that the staff were due to trial a player when training resumed on Thursday 1 October, with a medical joker signing a possibility.

Dax have three wins and two defeats after five rounds. They travel to Agen on Friday 9 October.