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Manuel Leindekar will take another step towards a possible starting spot at the World Cup when he runs out for Oyonnax against Bayonne in the first Pro D2 Semi Final on Saturday. The giant Uruguayan lock has enjoyed a breakthrough season with USO, becoming first choice in the second half of the season.
At 22 years old Leindekar has a chance to help Oyonnax back to the Top 14. He will pack down beside veteran Romanian international Valentin Ursache, who captains the side, in a pack that also contains Georgian prop Irakli Mirtskhulava and New Zealand u20 caps Quentin MacDonald and Rory Grice.
Bayonne finished just beyond Oyonnax in 3rd place during the regular season. The have a pair of Namibian World Cup forwards in hooker Torsten van Jaarsveld and second row PJ van Lill, the latter who concedes four inches (11 cm) to Leindekar in the lineout.
Former Pumas fullback Martín Bustos Moyano is named on the bench. The 33-year-old is in his 6th season with the club after joining from Montpellier in 2013. He remains a regular contributor but has seen young French prospect Julien Tisseron challenge for the starting spot.
The winner of Saturday’s game will play against the winner of Sunday’s Semi Final for a shot at automatic promotion. Regular season leaders Brive will take on Vannes.
OYONNAX
1 Hoani Tui, 2 Quentin MacDonald, 3 Irakli Mirtskhulava, 4 Manuel Leindekar, 5 Valentin Ursache (capt.), 6 Bilel Taieb, 7 Sacha Zegueur, 8 Rory Grice, 9 Jérémy Gondrand, 10 Ben Botica, 11 Aurélien Callandret, 12 Roimata Hansell-Pune, 13 Théo Millet, 14 Dug Codjo, 15 Quentin Étienne
Replacements: 16 Didier Tison, 17 Blaïse Dumas, 18 Christian Njewel, 19 Phoenix Battye, 20 James Hall, 21 Mitch Inman, 22 Joffrey Michel, 23 Thomas Laclayat
BAYONNE
1 Aretz Iguiniz, 2 Torsten van Jaarsveld, 3 Toma Taufa, 4 PJ van Lill, 5 Adam Jaulhac, 6 Baptiste Heguy, 7 Antoine Battut (capt.), 8 Filimo Taofifenua, 9 Guillaume Rouet, 10 Manuel Ordas, 11 Arthur Duhau, 12 Romain Barthelemy, 13 Sean Robinson, 14 Latu Latunipulu, 15 Julien Tisseron
Replacements: 16 Maxime Delonca, 17 Ugo Boniface, 18 Abdel Boutaty, 19 Johnnie Beattie, 20 Aymeric Luc, 21 Tristan Tedder, 22 Martín Bustos Moyano, 23 Luc Mousset
