Access-match Grenoble – MHR: against FCG, Montpellier will have to impose its rhythm

Alexandre Bécognée et Bastien Chalureau auront leur rôle à jouer. Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Pour prendre le dessus sur la meilleure attaque de Pro D2, Montpellier va devoir allier puissance et mains dans les rucks, dimanche à 18h.

Best attack in ProD2 (826 points scored), the most passes after contact, a number 10 who alternates well, this Grenoble team is equipped to pose problems to a moribund MHR this season, which ;rsquo;never really showed a real meaningful game plan.

In a nice series of 10 successes in the last 12 matches since March, FC Grenoble showed its limits, against Vannes in the Pro D2 final, last Saturday (16-9). Very clean in touch (12/12), an area in which they are very inventive this season, the Isérois suffered in the scrum sector, an avenue of attack for the MHR ?

Even if it has sometimes been mishandled this season in the elite, the Hérault pack returns a few dozen kilos of power to its opponent of the day. Moreover, the strikes of Chalureau, Duguid, Nouchi, Serfontein or even Lam can be the solution against a formation which relies on movement and speed.

Slow down the balloons

Leader in the field of “offloads”, with nearly 11 passes after contact per game, FC Grenoble was caught at its own game during the Pro D2 final by making fall a dozen balloons. Montpellier native Éric Escande at the scrum and Welshman Sam Davies have formed a very complementary hinge this season, relying on ultra-dynamic ball exits to perfectly liven up the game.

Vannes, in the Pro D2 final, was able to stop the Isère machine by waging war on the ground (11 balls scratched). In Montpellier, the tenure of Bécognée will be an asset in this sector, against the FCG of captain Steve Blanc-Mappaz, a real marathoner who will play his 34th match of the season for an average of 76 minutes per match.