D1 ELITE: EVERYTHING STILL TO PLAY FOR BEFORE THE PLAYOFFS BEGIN
- Arnaud Dignocourt
- May 15
- 4 min read
One final weekend remains before the French D1 postseason arrives, and despite several teams already securing their positions, the regular season still has unfinished business to settle.
The North Conference picture is nearly complete after last week’s early showdown in Thonon-les-Bains, where the Molosses secured their playoff berth. In the South, however, tension remains everywhere. Toulouse, the Catalan Grizzlys and Aix-en-Provence all enter Week 10 with realistic hopes of extending their season.
At the top of the league, Cannes now has the opportunity to become the only team to complete a perfect regular season.
Cannes Chasing History
The Iron Mask no longer needs this weekend to secure first place. That work has already been done. Cannes locked up the South Conference weeks ago and will host a semifinal regardless of the final results.
But perfection remains within reach.
After Thonon’s defeat against Asnières, Cannes became the last unbeaten team left in D1. That reality changes the stakes entirely heading into their matchup against Toulouse. A flawless regular season would further establish the Iron Mask as the clear championship favorite entering the playoffs.
The Ours, meanwhile, arrive with everything on the line.
Their situation is brutally simple: beat Cannes and qualify. Any other result could leave their season dependent on outside help. The challenge becomes even tougher without quarterback Nick Eilers, who recently left the team for personal reasons.
Still, Toulouse has shown resilience during the second half of the season, particularly through the emergence of Nathan Coutelloc under center. The Ours have already survived multiple pressure games over the past month. Now they face the biggest one yet.
Marseille Already Qualified But Questions Remain
Unlike Toulouse or Aix-en-Provence, Marseille already knows its postseason schedule. The Blue Stars are locked into a home Wild Card game next weekend against the Molosses.
What they do not know yet is what version of themselves will appear in the playoffs.
Their heavy loss against Cannes raised concerns at precisely the wrong time, especially defensively. Saturday’s meeting with Aix therefore becomes less about standings and more about restoring rhythm and confidence before elimination football begins.
The coaching approach will also be worth watching closely. Marseille could decide to protect several key contributors ahead of next week, but risking a second straight disappointing performance would hardly be ideal either.
Aix-en-Provence approaches the derby from a completely different perspective.
A few weeks ago, the Argonautes appeared finished after a difficult stretch of results. Yet the South Conference race reopened unexpectedly, handing them one final opportunity to sneak into the postseason.
To stay alive, they likely need a near-complete performance offensively. Aix has shown flashes this year when its ground game establishes control early and allows the offense to become unpredictable. Defensive playmakers have also helped keep the team competitive during difficult moments.
Nothing is guaranteed anymore for the Argonautes. But they are still standing entering the final weekend, which looked unlikely not long ago.
Molosses Deliver Statement Victory
The defining result of the North Conference arrived before most teams even entered Week 10.
Traveling to Thonon-les-Bains with their season effectively on the line, the Molosses produced one of the most disciplined performances of their year and stunned the defending champions 13-9.
The victory officially secured a playoff berth for Asnières and simultaneously ended the Black Panthers’ hopes of finishing unbeaten.
Rather than trying to match Thonon explosively, the Molosses relied on controlled possessions, defensive aggression and situational efficiency. That formula frustrated the defending champions throughout the evening and eventually produced the upset.
For Thonon, the loss changes little in the standings. The Black Panthers remain directly qualified for the semifinals and still possess one of the league’s deepest rosters. Yet the defeat serves as a reminder that the postseason will offer no easy path back to the title.
Rouen and Villepinte Playing Without Pressure
Several teams enter the final weekend without playoff stakes, but not without motivation.
Rouen’s late-season offensive improvement has become one of the more surprising developments in the conference. After struggling for consistency during much of the year, the Leopards suddenly discovered rhythm over the last two weeks and now close the season against the Flash.
La Courneuve already secured second place and may prioritize player management more than the result itself. Avoiding injuries before the playoffs could become the main objective for the Flash coaching staff.
Meanwhile, Fontenay-sous-Bois must quickly recover emotionally after seeing its playoff hopes disappear because of the Molosses’ victory. The Meteors spent most of the season competing for a Wild Card spot and narrowly missed out despite an impressive campaign as a promoted side.
Their finale against Villepinte still offers an opportunity to finish above .500, a meaningful achievement considering preseason expectations.
The Diables Rouges, for their part, finally removed the pressure of a winless year after earning a draw against Rouen in Week 9. Their final objective now becomes obvious: avoid ending the season without a victory.
Catalan Grizzlys Still Alive
The final game of the regular season could become one of the most important of the weekend depending on earlier results.
If Toulouse loses in Cannes, the Catalan Grizzlys would control their own playoff destiny entering Sunday’s matchup against Grenoble.
That possibility alone feels remarkable considering the trajectory of their season. Injuries and inconsistency nearly derailed the Grizzlys during the second half of the year, particularly on offense, where confidence visibly declined over recent weeks.
Yet the opportunity remains there.
Grenoble, however, has quietly become more competitive late in the season. The Centaures pushed Aix-en-Provence deep into the fourth quarter last week and continue searching for a first victory that has narrowly escaped them multiple times.
Quarterback Nathan Valencia has developed stronger chemistry with his receivers in recent games, giving Grenoble more offensive balance than earlier this season.
For the Grizzlys, that creates a dangerous situation: a high-pressure game against an opponent with nothing left to lose.
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