UWH
Preview French Open League : Le Puy-en-Velay
Almost the only bright spot of the 2020-2021 season in France, the TDV is back this weekend with more challenges than ever. 23 teams, more than 120 games, 2000 minutes of cumulative play, two qualifying places for the national final and points to go for the winners, the expression One League, Two Challenges, finally takes its full meaning.
Pool A
They are almost all there. With the exception of the reigning French champion RSSM and Hyères, all the big names will be present in pool A.
The experienced team of Fontenay, winner last year, will have to fight to keep its title. The CMSB players will be reinforced by the contribution of the Portuguese captain and Barbarians player David Teiga.
Moirans, who won the first stage of the challenge in Montpellier, will try to confirm their good start of the season. A team composed of several French internationals that stands out for its fraternal links. The three Grandamas brothers, two of the Marant brothers and the Piaser brothers form the core of the CASM.
Dinan has a revenge to take after its defeat in the final last year. In addition to their numerous French internationals, LSD will be able to count on the contribution of Tom Pitchforth, U24 world vice-champion with Great Britain and Elite international.
The most international team of the group will be Diderot, which will count in its ranks the experienced Argentine Cato Catriel and two Hungarian players.
Franconville will also have something to say with the presence of English international Diederick Engelbrecht and Masters world champion and captain Paul Barro.
The Saintes team will also include several internationals, including Elite world vice-champion Xavier Beaulieu, Masters world champion and U24 Girls coach Thomas Berland and European vice-champion Nicolas Merlier.
Pessac, a solid team used to physical fights that we will have to watch. Playing against Pessac is never a pleasure.
Pool B
Pool B will have a new winner since Morlaix will not be present.
The teams are of a rather homogeneous level. It will be the occasion to discover a Team more-sport quite different from the one which finished second of the pool C last year, with a cosmopolitan team composed of a Turkish, three Spanish and two French.
Half of the teams took part in the first stage of the Montpellier points challenge and are therefore in good shape for this competition (Le Puy, Clermont, Occitan Warriors, Lyonsots).
Member of the A group last year, the Squale Team Neuilly, could do someting in a group at their level. The spectre of another 14-0 is now far away.
Note the presence in the pool of the French Elite Women’s team, winner of the Morbihan Cup last month, which continues its preparation for the 2023 World Championships.
Pool C
As the Masters Women’s team is not present to retain its title, the winner of the all-female pool C will be unseen.
Among the contenders there is the new generation of U24 Women who will play their first competition.
They will have to face a team from Le Chesnay that looks like a French Masters team.
In addition to the teams of clubs like La Rochelle, Diderot and Moirans, some of them will have more original names. We will be able to see the Johnny B Good team, the Montpelionnes as well as La 8ème.
The first day’s program
Our favorites
Obviously it is difficult to establish a favorite when the competitions were cruelly missing last year. However, we are players in the UWH News editorial staff so we’re going to take a chance.
Christophe
Pool A : Fontenay. I will give the victory to the experience. They were so physically impressive last year in similar conditions that I can see them keeping their title. 0 goals conceded in the play-offs last year, it’s good to remember that.
Pool B : Le Puy. The good surprise of the tournament ? They are at home and finished third in the Montpellier stage, just ahead of Clermont, the reigning D2 champion. My bet of the competition !
Poule C : Le Chesnay. A team that knows itself by heart, on the podiums of D1 for years, difficult not to name them favorites !
Rodolphe
Pool A : Moirans. The year of maturity for Moirans ? a team not at 100% but which will have desires to do very well. It will be necessary to be solid to get rid of Dinan and Fontenay. This is my bet for the weekend.
Pool B : The Team more-sport. A mixed team, which never played together and which will face the best clubs of D2 of France… Be careful with the Team more-sport which will reserve many surprises I think…
Poule C : Le Chesnay, with world champions and a lot of experience, it will be necessary to be very intelligent to succeed in beating them. Beware however, to Moirans which becomes a formidable team since a few years…
It is easy to speculate and imagine scenarios but only the basin speaks. We say to ourselves: see you this weekend on YouTube, Facebook and Twitch to follow this Velay 2021 Tournament!