JAMES HARRINGTON
FRENCH COLUMN

Oyonnax manager Joe El-Abd promised last week that his side would ‘fight to the end’ following their so-near-so-far 35-39 home defeat against fellow Top 14 lowlanders Montpellier.
“We have reason to believe,” he said. “We saw a team that fought right to the end in a very tough match from the start. We never gave up and now, with nine matches left, we’ve got to believe.
“We know it’s going to be harder after this game, but we’re fighting right to the end and we’re not giving up. We have to keep working and fighting for our fans.”
Six domestic defeats in a row...