The 14 British and Irish players to feature in the Pro D2 play-offs

It’s (finally) decision time in Pro D2! The regular season is over, and RC Vannes, US Colomiers, Provence Rugby, Valence Romans, US Oyonnax, and CA Brive will battle for the championship belt in the coming weeks.

Will the cup fall into Mako Vunipola, Dave Cherry, Ben Stevenson and RC Vannes’ hands? Or will fans get to enjoy another remarkable upset of Montauban’s proportions last year?

With the play-offs about to go live, find out which British and Irish players will be in the running to be crowned champions of France’s second division!

RC Vannes
It has been quite an untroubled season for Vannes, as the Pro D2 leaders arrive are the play-offs having suffered only five defeats and amassing more than 110 league points, with the likes of Vunipola, Cherry and Stevenson having played their part.

The English prop featured in 12 games for the Brittany side, while Cherry has collected 17 apps since joining the club last summer, scoring three tries over the course of the season.

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However, the British player who has amassed more minutes thus far isn’t either of the front-rowers, as that is Stevenson. The former Newcastle player has managed to score seven times in 19 games, adding razor-sharp pace and unpredictability from the wing.

Colomiers
The 28-year-old journeyman Myles Edwards has been racking up minutes and games in his first season as a member of the Colomiers armada, with the former Worcester Warriors lock featuring in 20 matches, 15 as a starter.

Colomiers have been enjoying a tremendous season, with their set-piece playing a central role in the team’s performance, an area in which Edwards has excelled since the start of the season.

Provence
Can Provence provide a memorable last hurrah to George North by winning the Pro D2 against all expectations? The Welsh great, who announced his retirement from the game in April, has spent most of the season on the sidelines due to a few injuries, but there’s a chance that the centre will be available for selection when the play-offs kick in.

But North isn’t the only Welshman who is expected to play in the play-offs for Provence, as Sale Sharks-bound Tomas Francis has been in stellar form for the club. The veteran prop’s scrummaging expertise has been put to good use, giving a crucial edge in close contests.

As for Teimana Harrison, the loose forward has made a successful return to play after several months on the sidelines, and will be one of Philippe Saint-André’s secret weapons for the knockouts.

Valence Romans
Potentially the biggest underdog of the season, Valence Romans have earned their place in the knockouts despite having the 10th-smallest budget among the 16 teams.

Former Cardiff Rugby winger Owen Lane might be the only British or Irish player representing the club, but the Welsh international has made sure he has left his mark, not only by crossing the whitewash triumphantly, but also by adding spectacular unpredictability.

Almost no one expects Lane and Valence Romans to achieve the impossible, but beware, because no one expected Montauban to win the title last season either.

US Oyonnax
Former Munster star Darren Sweetnam is one of the few Irish players in the Pro D2, having first joined US Oyonnax back in 2021.

While the 33-year-old has only featured in 40 per cent of his team’s games, he boasts some of the best statistics, averaging 70 metres carried per game, three tries, and five line breaks up to this point.

The Oyomen will have a tough road ahead, but Sweetnam could be pivotal in the club’s aspirations of reaching the final.

CA Brive
By the skin of their teeth, CA Brive qualified for the play-offs and will have a say in who becomes the Pro D2 champions. It’s actually the end of a chapter for the club, as there will be several departures, from the coach to the captain, such as Courtney Lawes, who is about to return to England.

Lawes has been remarkable over the last two seasons, ranking high on the jackals and successful tackle attempts leaderboards. Regarded as a living legend of the club, Lawes still has the chance of closing his French club era with some silverware.

Alongside him have been John Cooney, Jamie Shillcock, Stuart Olding and Lewis Noon, with the first two enjoying a particularly sensational season. Shillcock has added 254 points from the boot across 23 games, while Cooney has cruised past the defence to nail six finishes.