Mont-de-Marsan

One to watch: Mont-de-Marsan coach Marc Dal Maso

- 2008/9 Season Preview -

Club Details

Stade Montois Rugby Pro

Stade Guy Boniface

270, Avenue du Stade

40000 Mont-de-Marsan

Stadium Capacity: 22,000

Website: www.stademontoisrugby.fr

Founded: 1908

Last time around: Promoted from ProD2

This time? It's all uphill for the new boys if they are to avoid continuing the trend of clubs going straight back down after being promoted. Their win against Racing Metro in the promotion play-offs and a 15-10 win over Montpellier in a pre-season friendly proved that they are cable of producing the goods when the chips are down. The Top 14 season is however a lot longer than a handful of games.

Coaches: Former French international hooker Marc Dal Maso is no stranger to the pressures of promotions and relegations. After winning promotion into the ProD2 with Limoges in 2006, he lost his job when the when the club returned to the Fédérale 1. He is under no pressure however to keep his team up. With the whole of France writing Mont-de-Marsan off before the season has even started, Dal Maso and his troops have nothing to lose - count on the men in yellow to produce a few upsets before being relegated.

One to watch: Roland Bernard has been imported from South Africa's seemingly endless production line of quality loose forwards.

Final 2008/9 league position prediction: 14th

In: Rudolph Berek (lock, Dax), Dimitri Senio (centre, Albi), Roland Bernard (loose forward, Lions), Trevor Leota (hooker), Murphy Taele (centre, Montpellier), Franck Maréchal (loose forward, Albi), Nicolas Leroux (full-back, Brive), Patrick Blanco (prop, Montauban), Timoci Matanavu (wing), Ben Coutts (prop, Reds).

Out: Irakli Machkhaneli (wing, Agen), Jocelino Suta (lock, Toulon), Laurent Dehez (hooker).

Colours: Yellow and Black

Travel connections: Stade Guy Boniface

By train: From the station in the centre of town, take Boulevard Antoine Lacaze which becomes Boulevard d'Alingsas and then Boulevard Saint-Médard. Turn right into Avenue du Stade.

By air: The closest large airports are in Biarrtz and Pau, both of which are serviced by various airlines, including Ryanair and Easyjet.

By car: Mont-de-Marsan lies about 50 kms north-east of Dax on the N124. From Biarritz and Bayonne take the N10 to Bordeaux, then the N124 to Dax.