The Cannes Iron Mask (2-0) will play host to the Aix Argonautes (1-1), Sunday, February 23 as the French D1 Elite league winds up its fourth weekend of play.
Cannes looked impressive in their league opener, pounding the Nice Dauphins 41-14. They then got by the Grizzlys Catalans in a thriller 22-21 last week. The Argonautes were beaten 34-27 by the Toulouse Ours in their season opener but rebounded with a 35-32 victory over the Nice Dauphins.
The Iron Mask won both games between the two teams in 2024, 35-8 and 11-7.
Cannes is led by quarterback Olivier Roy who has thrown for 284 yards and three touchdowns with Timothe Labarriere as his main target. Labarriere has caught seven passes for 110 yards. The Iron Mask ground game is formidable with running back Yanis Polin leading the league having rushed for 304 yards and five touchdowns on 27 carries.
Argonautes quarterback Jason Gaines is the second leading passer in the league having thrown for 492 yards and three touchdowns in the two games. His top targets, Dominique Thompson (12/226/1) and Alexandre Agimel (10/200/1) are the top two receivers in France.
This will be a fascinating matchup with the top aerial attack in France pitted against the league’s leading ground game.