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Agen have won promotion to the Top 14. The South-Western French side defeated Montauban 41-20 in the Pro D2 Final today in Bordeaux. The result sees the club joining Oyonnax in earning promotion for the 2017-2018 season. The clubs replace Grenoble and Bayonne respectively.
Agen overcame Montauban by scoring five tries to two. Among the try scorers was Taylor Paris. The Canadian flier played his final match for the club. He is to join Castres next season, doing so as a direct replacement for Horacio Agulla. The Puma is off-contract on June 30 and is returning to play for Hindú.
The club is also home to Dave Ryan, an uncapped player who is eligible for the USA. Recruitment for next season is well underway and already includes three Argentine players. Facundo Bosch departed Los Jaguares in January while Ignacio Mieres recently signed. Also having joined is the Italian-capped Leandro Cedaro.
Agen’s promotion confirms all teams for next season’s Top 14 competition. They are to be Agen, Bordeaux, Brive, Castres, Clermont, La Rochelle, Lyon, Montpellier, Oyonnax, Pau, Racing 92, Stade Français, Toulon and Toulouse.
The caliber of clubs in the 2017-2018 season will ensure that avoiding relegation will be extremely challenging. Agen and Oyonnax enter as the favorites for relegation though there are a range of possibilities.
