Week 4 Power Rankings for the D1 Élite
- Arnaud Dignocourt
- 45 minutes ago
- 7 min read
As always, a reminder before we get into it: this is subjective. These rankings are based on results, game flow, momentum, level of opposition, and the overall impression each team left this weekend. They are not the standings, and they are not meant to be taken personally. The goal is simple: place teams where they feel right now, after comparing what we learned in Week 3 with what was confirmed, corrected, or exposed in Week 4.
And this week gave us movement.
At the top, the Black Panthers keep doing exactly what the best team in the league is supposed to do. Cannes made the biggest statement of the weekend and forced its way up. The Flash got the win, but not in a way that completely shut down the questions around them. The Météores answered well after a rough Week 3. Marseille may finally be finding some rhythm. And in the lower half, Aix gave itself a real boost while Rouen and Grenoble keep drifting the wrong way.
Here’s where things stand after Week 4.
1. Black Panthers - Thonon-les-Bains (4-0)
No movement here. They were already number one last week, and the 41-6 win over Villepinte only reinforced it. This was another game where they looked bigger, cleaner, faster, and more settled than the team across from them. They started quickly, controlled everything, and never left the door open. At this point, they are not just winning games, they are making them feel simple. That is the clearest sign of a team sitting comfortably at the top. Next up: a road trip to Rouen, and anything less than a controlled win would be a surprise.
Next up: Centaures away, the kind of game where a contender is expected to stay sharp and avoid a flat performance.
2. Iron Mask - Cannes (4-0)
Up one. This is the team with the strongest case to rise after Week 4. Last week, Cannes still had a little bit to prove despite being unbeaten. The win was there, but the full authority was not always there with it. This weekend changed that. Beating the Grizzlys 32-20 matters because of who the opponent was and because of how the game turned. Cannes absorbed the early pressure, adjusted, and then took control. That is the profile of a top-tier team. This was not just another win. It felt like a real step forward.
Next up: Centaures away, the kind of game where a contender is expected to stay sharp and avoid a flat performance.
3. Flash - La Courneuve (3-1)
Down one, but more because Cannes earned the jump than because the Flash collapsed. Beating the Molosses is a solid result. It is a game that carries weight, especially against a team that had climbed after showing clear improvement in Week 3. But the 7-6 scoreline keeps this from feeling like a fully convincing weekend. The Flash found a way, defended well enough, and survived the final scare. That counts. But compared to Cannes, who beat a direct heavyweight with more authority, La Courneuve lose a bit of ground. Still a top-three team, still dangerous, but not quite as secure in the number two spot anymore.
Next up: a trip to Fontenay-sous-Bois for a rematch with the Météores, which suddenly looks like one of next week’s biggest tests.
4. Grizzlys - Perpignan (3-1)
No change. Losing at Cannes is not the kind of result that should trigger a big drop. This was a meeting between two teams already sitting near the top, and while the Grizzlys started well, they could not keep control once the game shifted. That matters, but it does not erase the quality they had shown before. They still look like one of the better teams in the league, and there is no shame in losing to an unbeaten contender on the road. They stay fourth because nothing behind them feels strong enough to jump them yet.
Next up: Argonautes at home, and that gives them a good chance to steady the picture quickly.
5. Météores - Fontenay-sous-Bois (3-1)
Up one. This is one of the cleanest rebounds of the week. In Week 3, they looked overwhelmed by Thonon and never found any rhythm. The important thing was not the loss itself, but how they would answer it. Against Rouen, they answered well. They were sharp when chances came, ruthless around turnovers, and quick to punish mistakes. That early burst changed the game, and from there they looked much more like the team people expected to see. This does not erase the issues from last week, but it does show that the Thonon loss did not knock them off course.
Next up: Flash at home, which is a massive opportunity to prove this bounce-back was more than a one-week correction.
6. Molosses - Asnières-sur-Seine (1-3)
Down one. The drop is small, and that matters. This was not a bad loss. In fact, there is an argument that the Molosses came out of this weekend with their reputation mostly intact. They pushed the Flash to the limit, defended hard, and had a real shot to steal it at the end. But power rankings are about context too. Last week, they climbed because the Rouen performance felt like a genuine shift. This week, they lost narrowly, but they still lost, and the injury situation at quarterback adds uncertainty going forward. The level is still there. The momentum just cools slightly.
Next up: Diables Rouges away, and it feels like the sort of game they have to take if they want to keep their footing in this range.
7. Blue Stars - Marseille (2-2)
No change, but the feeling around them is better. Marseille needed a win, and not just any win. They needed something convincing, something that looked like a team finally translating its potential into a full game. That is exactly what the 41-14 result over Grenoble gave them. The offense had more juice, more rhythm, and more confidence, while the defense kept producing impact plays. So why stay seventh? Because the teams directly above them either beat better opposition or had already built more credit before this week. Marseille are moving in the right direction. They just are not ready to jump the line yet.
Next up: Toulouse away, and that one has real value for a team trying to break into the next tier.
8. Ours - Toulouse (1-3)
No change, but this is a shaky hold. Week 3 gave Toulouse a useful win, but not one that fully removed the doubts. Week 4 did not help much. Losing 17-14 at Aix is the kind of result that keeps them stuck rather than pushing them up. The Ours still feel more trustworthy than the teams below them, which is why they stay here, but the margin is getting thinner. They have enough to compete in this range. What they have not shown yet is the consistency to move above it.
Next up: Blue Stars at home, in a game that could reshape the middle of the table in a hurry.
9. Argonautes - Aix-en-Provence (1-2-1)
Up two. This is the best rise in the lower half of the rankings, and it is deserved. Last week, Aix were still winless, but there were signs that something was there: defensive playmakers, late-game aggression, a team that was at least forcing moments. The missing piece was finishing. This week, they finished. The win over Toulouse was not flashy, but it was the kind of result that matters when a team is trying to change its trajectory. They stayed in the fight, found the big late play, and this time did not let the opportunity slip away. That is a meaningful step.
Next up: a trip to Perpignan, so they will get an immediate read on whether this was a breakthrough or just a breath of fresh air.
10. Leopards - Rouen (1-3)
Down one. Rouen are slipping because the same concern keeps showing up in different forms. Last week, the issue was their inability to respond once the game turned against them. This week, at home against the Météores, they had a chance to reset the tone. Instead, they got hit hard early and spent most of the game chasing the damage. There was a reaction at times, but not enough control and not enough consistency. Right now, Rouen do not look like a team shaping games. They look like a team reacting to them, and usually too late.
Next up: Black Panthers at home, which is about as unforgiving a spot as possible to try to stop the slide.
11. Centaures - Grenoble (0-3-1)
Down one. Last week, even in defeat, Grenoble at least looked like a team hanging around games long enough to imagine a break going their way. This week was rougher. The 41-14 loss in Marseille never really developed into the kind of contest where you felt Grenoble could flip the script late. The defensive problems stayed visible, the offense could not keep up, and the game got away from them too quickly. They are still above Villepinte because they have shown slightly more resistance overall, but this was not a performance that inspires much optimism. Next up: Iron Mask at home, and the challenge level does not get any friendlier.
12 - Diables Rouges - Villepinte (0-4)
No change. They stay last. There is no shame in losing to Thonon, but the way the game unfolded confirmed the gap that already existed. Villepinte had no real control, no sustained momentum, and no point where the result felt in doubt. They did get on the board, which at least gives them something, but the bigger picture stays the same. Until they show they can handle swings, stay in games longer, and build something more stable from one quarter to the next, they remain at the bottom.
Next up: Molosses at home, which may be one of their better openings to finally make things uncomfortable for someone.
That is the Week 4 picture: Thonon still lead the pack, Cannes make the strongest move near the top, and the middle remains tight enough that one big weekend can still change everything.
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