Pro D2 is back this week! After a short break, during which the Six Nations got under way, round 20 will start on Thursday 12 February and finish the following day. With 10 rounds to go, the pressure is about to build and some fixtures could count double…

Starting with a solid Nevers-Colomiers on Thursday (21:00, Canal + Sport). Ninth, Nevers missed out on the last block with no wins in their last four matches. Still without a victory on the road, Coenie Basson’s players are also coming off a very heavy home defeat by Provence (10-45) and a draw against lowly Mont-de-Marsan (29-29).

Béziers-Grenoble, a costly fixture

Colomiers, on the other hand, sit third and do not want to be left behind by Provence and Vannes. Very solid away from home, Rodrigo Marta and Colomiers are unbeaten in five matches. A mountain is heading for the Pré Fleuri. Speaking of mountains, two rocks will face off on Friday (19:00). Provence, second, host Oyonnax, fifth. Provence cannot afford a slip-up, while the Oyomen have the tools to finish their season very strongly.

Another duel, but this time… at the bottom of the table. Very inconsistent this season and not exactly convincing in terms of performance, Soyaux-Angoulême (11th, 36 points) do not want to sink at home. After three straight defeats, Alexandre Ruiz’s players have no room for error against Mont-de-Marsan (14th, 28 points), or they risk setting fire to their run-in. Mont-de-Marsan, meanwhile, have perked up since mid-January with no defeats in their last three matches (2 wins, 1 draw). Beware the trap they set…

The other club from the Landes, US Dax (15th, 27 points), must not slip up at home. Still handicapped by their 14-point deduction, Dax are hanging on and want to continue their fine run at Maurice-Boyau (only Brive and Vannes have won there). Facing them will be Aurillac (8th, 41 points). As admirable as ever despite their small budget, Aurillac, led by a magnificent Lucas Oudard, still want to grab a qualifying place. But their away performances need to be better controlled.

A breathless duel for sixth place

Frustrated precisely at Aurillac, Valence-Romans (4th, 57 points) want to keep their cushion over Oyonnax (7 points clear). Excellent at home, Fabien Fortassin’s charges will have to be wary of Biarritz (12th, 35 points), capable of the best and the worst.

Another fixture under tension: Béziers against Grenoble. Last-gasp winners over Dax two weeks ago, Béziers (13th, 30 points) play a second consecutive match at home. A chance to bank points quickly, because Samuel Marques and his team-mates are only three points clear of the relegation play-off place in 15th held by Dax. On the other side, FCG (10th, 37 points) are in troubled waters and need to get a move on if they are to believe in qualifying.

RC Vannes, for their part, want to keep up their blistering rhythm. Top of the table, the Bretons take on bottom side Carcassonne at La Rabine in a fixture that looks… lopsided. But Carcassonne show courage and grit, as in that match lost to Provence by just four points (19-23).

To round off this fine round 20 of Pro D2, what could be better than a crucial match for sixth place? Brive (6th, 45 points) host Agen (43 points, 7th). No need for any calculations: the winner could take an important advantage before the end of the season. We cannot wait for Thursday!