Can Vannes escape the fate of winless promoted sides?

Six games, six defeats and a single losing bonus point: Vannes are bottom, eight points behind Castres.

Vannes have lost in Castres (29-20), against Montpellier (12-26), against Toulouse (23-29), in Toulon (28-10), against Pau (40-43) and in Perpignan (21-12). Their only point came against Pau, after a 33-point comeback from 40-7 down. In their first promoted season, two years ago, they had one win at the same stage.

Three precedents, three relegations

Among the promoted clubs recorded in our database since 2009-10, only three had lost their first six Top 14 games. Albi in 2009-10 had four points, all losing bonuses, Mont-de-Marsan in 2012-13 had none, and Perpignan in 2018-19 had two. With one point, Vannes sit between Mont-de-Marsan and Perpignan.

None of the three stayed up. Albi waited until round 8 for a win and finished the season with four. Mont-de-Marsan waited until round 11, Perpignan until round 16, and both won only two of their 26 league games.

Still within reach

The margins give Vannes some hope: four of their six defeats were by fewer than ten points, including a three-point loss to Pau. Vannes winger Nathanael Hulleu said as much again after Perpignan.

Vannes host Clermont on 24 October, before a trip to Lyon on the 31st.

I feel like I’m repeating myself every week. Every week we’re within reach of our opponents and every week we leave with nothing.

Nathanael Hulleu