France: Key matchups as D1 Elite Conference B heads into Week 5

France’s D1 Elite heads into its fifth weekend of play with a full slate of games in Conference B.

After the decisive defeat of the Aix Argonautes by the Marseilles Blue Stars last weekend, it will now fall to the 3-1 Catalan Grizzlys to knock off the top dog in Conference B in week 4 of the D1 Elite.

Marseille Blue Stars 4-0 vs Catalan Grizzlys 3-1

The biggest matchup of week 4 in the whole of France may be the Blue Stars – Grizzlys matchup. No team has looked as dominant as the Blue Stars since the beginning of the season outside of the La Courneuve Flash from Paris.

The Blue Stars success does not come from any one player, but rather a defense that thrives on impact plays and an offense led by Canadian quarterback Kaleb Scott that refuses to stop scoring through the air and on the ground.

The 3-0 Argonauts looked to be the team best suited to take down Marseille but were unable to get anything going offensively. The Grizzlys are another team that could surprise the Blue Stars this weekend with their high-powered offense, putting up a staggering 148 points in just four games.

Grizzlys quarterback Jake Patricia will hopefully be able to provide the shootout we’ve been waiting for in Conference B.

Aix en Provence Argonautes 3-1 vs Toulouse Ours 2-2

The Argonautes will see this week 4 matchup against the Ours as the bounce back game to get them back on schedule for the second place playoff spot in Conference B.

Last week’s loss to the Marseille was disappointing for the Argonauts as it was their first real hurdle. Toulouse has shown they can beat the teams in the lower half of the league with a stingy defense but have been unable to get many points on the board.

If the Ours hope to stand a chance this week that stingy defense is going to need to get a whole lot stingier against one of the league’s top passers in Michael Pina.

Grenoble Centaures 0-4 vs Montpellier Hurricanes 0-4

The final game in Conference B will be a battle for pride. Neither the Centaures nor the Hurricanes have been able to secure a win, despite a couple of close calls for the Hurricanes.

Both teams decided to enter the season with French quarterbacks, promoting a position underserved by domestic players in Europe, but also leading to a stifling offense.

This may be the chance for French national team quarterback Joachim Torrelli to not only put his name on the map as a starter for European franchises but also get the Hurricanes their first win.