The competition begins with a round robin League in both groups. The fifth place finishers in each group are eliminated. Then the 1st place finisher in Group B plays against the 4th place finisher in Group A. The winner plays in the Group A Semi-finals as the #4 team. The loser plays in the Group B Semi-finals as the #2 team. This is a twist that makes the competition very interesting. A Group B team has a chance to be promoted within the space of one competition. The semi-finals will be #1-#4 and #2-#3 in each group. The winners meet in Finals on April 28 (Group A) and May 5 (Group B).
Player profiles at Esku Pilota
Player profiles at Pilota Ttiki
Group A:
Augusti Waltary-Peio Guichandut (defending Champions)
Peio Larralde-Bixintxo Bilbao
Mathieu Ospital-Baptiste Ducassou (runner up and Champion respectively of recently concluded FFPB Main Nue Individuel Competition)
Julien Etchegaray-Ximun Lambert
Antton Monce-Thierry Harismendy
Group B:
Phillipe Bielle-Bixentxe Cubiat
Alexis Inchauspe (winner of Group B Main Nue Individuel)-Antton Amulet
Laurent Lambert (runner up of Group B Main Nue Individuel)-Cedric Lucu
Vincent Elgart-Mickael Palomes
Mattin-Olcomendy-Ion Iturbe
Note: Elgart and Iturbe were Group A players in the Individuel competition. Harismendy and Amulet did not play in the Individuel competition. Pascal de Ezcurra, Gregory Aguirre, and Mikael Darmendrail (all Group B Indviduel) are not playing in this championship.
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NOTE: RECORD OF PREVIOUS CHAMPIONSHIPS (2007-2018) IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS POST.
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Qualification Round: Week 1; Week 2; Week 3; Week 4; Week 5 and Barrage: April 13, 2019: Group B #1 v Group A #4
Finals: Group A; Group B
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Competition preview article (Pilota Ttiki)
Qualification Round 2
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Table as of March 17, 2019
Group A:
Ospital-Ducassou (2-0 +15)
Larralde-Bilbao (1-0 +21)
Monce-Harrismendy (1-1 -5)
Waltary-Guichandut (0-1 -2)
Etchegaray-X. Lambert (0-2 -29)
Group B:
Elgart-Palomes (2-0 +28)
Bielle-Cubiat (1-0 +1)
Olcomendy-Iturbe (1-1 -3)
Inchauspe-Amulet (0-1 -5)
L. Lambert-Lucu (0-2 -21)
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March 17, 2019
Group A
(Pilota Ttiki Youtube--condensed full match video)
Selected linescore (winners always listed first) (Pilota Ttiki and FFPB)
0-3; 2-5; 6-10; 9-12; 12-12; 14-14; 16-16; 22-17; 22-21; 28-25; 30-27; 40-27
Partial scoring (FFPB)
Ospital 4 service aces; Etchegaray 2
Ospital 4 service aces; Etchegaray 2
E-L stayed in the match until about half way through, when O-D opened a small lead. It was still close after 57 points, but then O-D finished with a 10-0 run that turned the match into a rout. Etchegaray, according to the Pilota Ttiki match article, was not completely recovered from the influenza that caused him to miss the E-L's first match. Fatigue might have had something to do with the way the match ended, though there was no mention of it. Interestingly, Ducassou and Ospital were back to an orthodox serve defense in this match. Last week Ducassou played at the middle of the fault line to handle Waltary's lethal low hard serve while Ospital played deep and to the left. In this match they held Etchegaray to 2 service aces.
O-D have put themselves in a strong position in this tournament. We should know more about how strong they are after their next match next Sunday March 24 at Saint-Pee-Sur-Nivelle against Larralde-Bilbao. It could very well be a preview of the Final in April. E-L have a difficult assignment against defending Champions Waltary-Guichandut at Mauleon on the 23rd. Another loss will most likely doom their chances of advancing.
Group B
O-D have put themselves in a strong position in this tournament. We should know more about how strong they are after their next match next Sunday March 24 at Saint-Pee-Sur-Nivelle against Larralde-Bilbao. It could very well be a preview of the Final in April. E-L have a difficult assignment against defending Champions Waltary-Guichandut at Mauleon on the 23rd. Another loss will most likely doom their chances of advancing.
Group B
(Pilota Ttiki Youtube--condensed full match video)
Match article for both matches (Pilota Ttiki)
Selected linescore: (Pilota Ttiki and FFPB)
6-3; 13-3; 20-9; 22-9; 32-14; 40-20
Partial scoring (FFPB)
Elgart 9 service aces; L. Lambert 2
L-L lost a heartbreaker last week, one they probably feel they should have won. This week E-P dominated from beginning to end winning the first half of the match 20-9, the second half 20-11. As the linescore shows, E-P built the lead throughout. Elgart spearheaded the attack with 9 service aces. He now has 21 aces in his team's first two matches. Based on their record and point differential, E-P appear to be the class of the B Group, and have a good chance for an opportunity to compete in the Group A Semi-finals. More will be known after their next match next Saturday at Mauleon against Bielle-Cubiat, the only other team in the Group with a winning record at the moment.
L-L lost a heartbreaker last week, one they probably feel they should have won. This week E-P dominated from beginning to end winning the first half of the match 20-9, the second half 20-11. As the linescore shows, E-P built the lead throughout. Elgart spearheaded the attack with 9 service aces. He now has 21 aces in his team's first two matches. Based on their record and point differential, E-P appear to be the class of the B Group, and have a good chance for an opportunity to compete in the Group A Semi-finals. More will be known after their next match next Saturday at Mauleon against Bielle-Cubiat, the only other team in the Group with a winning record at the moment.
March 16, 2019
Group A
(Pilota Ttiki Youtube--condensed full match video)
Selected linescore (winners always listed first)
0-3; 4-4; 10-4; 19-12; 20-13; 28-16; 28-18; 38-18; 40-19
Partial scoring (FFPB)
Larralde 12 service aces, Monce 2
If anyone had any doubts about L-B's fitness coming back from foot and shoulder injuries that knocked them out of the Main Nue Individual competition, they shouldn't now. L-B crushed M-H with two large runs, a 10-1 early run that erased a 3-0 M-H lead, and then a late 10-0 run that blasted the match wide open. Larralde had his serve going and had a +10 advantage in that department over Monce. They won the first half of the match 20-13 and the second half 20-6, announcing to one and all that they are fully fit and ready to go. We'll find out how ready next week (see above).
Group B
Group B
(Pilota Ttiki Youtube--condensed full match video)
Selected linescore (winners always listed first) (Pilota Ttiki and FFPB)
2-7; 10-7; 10-10; 10-17; 12-20; 15-23; 23-23; 28-23; 32-25; 38-32; 39-32; 39-35; 40-35
Partial scoring (FFPB)
Inchauspe 8 service aces, Olcomendy 6
This was the closest and most intriguing match of the weekend. The losers built an early lead, lost it, built it again, and lost it again. The winners, once they took control of the match and maintained that control (32-25--39-32), were home free, or so they thought. I-A fought back with 3 straight points to make things interesting, but it was too little too late. Olcomendy, according to the FFPB match article, was the catalyst for his team, combining 6 service aces with around 6 direct points (xareats--shots into the dugout meshwork). Iturbe was also much improved over last week, according to the Pilota Ttiki match article. This match was just the tonic to remove the bad taste of their loss to Elgart-Palomes last week. Inchauspe, who had a taste of the A Group substituting for Etchegaray last week in a heavy defeat, found the B Group no easier. O-I are idle next week, while I-A will play foot of the table L. Lambert-Lucu in what could be an elimination match.
This was the closest and most intriguing match of the weekend. The losers built an early lead, lost it, built it again, and lost it again. The winners, once they took control of the match and maintained that control (32-25--39-32), were home free, or so they thought. I-A fought back with 3 straight points to make things interesting, but it was too little too late. Olcomendy, according to the FFPB match article, was the catalyst for his team, combining 6 service aces with around 6 direct points (xareats--shots into the dugout meshwork). Iturbe was also much improved over last week, according to the Pilota Ttiki match article. This match was just the tonic to remove the bad taste of their loss to Elgart-Palomes last week. Inchauspe, who had a taste of the A Group substituting for Etchegaray last week in a heavy defeat, found the B Group no easier. O-I are idle next week, while I-A will play foot of the table L. Lambert-Lucu in what could be an elimination match.
UPCOMING:
WEEK 3
MARCH 23, 2019
MAULEON
GROUP A:
WALTARY-GUICHANDUT (0-1 -2) v ETCHEGARAY-X. LAMBERT (0-2 -29)
GROUP B:
BIELLE-CUBIAT (1-0 +1) v ELGART-PALOMAS (2-0 +28)
MARCH 24, 2019
SAINT-PEE-SUR-NIVELLE
GROUP A:
LARRALDE-BILBAO (1-0 +21) v OSPITAL-DUCASSOU (2-0 +15)
GROUP B:
INCHAUSPE-AMULET (0-1 -5) v L. LAMBERT-LUCU (0-2 -21)
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Previous Championships:
2018:
Group A:
Waltary-Guichandut 40 Larralde-Iturbe 36
Full match video (Audiense Audiovisuel via FFPB)
Match article (FFPB)
"Dossier" (FFPB--.pdf format, 9p., which contains all competition match scores).
Pilota Ttiki also covered the entire competition, with match articles and condensed match videos Their coverage begins March 19. At the bottom of the article click on "precedent" and page through articles about the competition, using the "dossier" as your guide to dates of matches. When there are match videos, Pilota Ttiki links to them from the bottom of the match articles. They are also available at Pilota Ttiki Youtube (CTRL-F Championnat elite pro par equipes 2018).
Group B:
Bielle-Palomes 40 Elgart-Cubiat 22
Full match video (condensed) (Pilota Ttiki)
Match article (Pilota Ttiki)
2017:
Group A: Larralde-Bilbao 40 Waltary-Guichandut 38
Full match video (Audiense Audiovisuel via FFPB)
Match article (FFPB)
"Dossier" (FFPB--.pdf format, 12p. ,which contains all competition match scores)
Full competition context, with final linescore graph and linescore (pelotelive.free.fr)
Group B: Inchauspe-Amulet 40 L. Lambert-Palomes 29
Competition context (pelotelive.free.fr) (no match video available)
Match article (Pilota Ttiki)
2016:
Group A: Waltary-Bilbao 40 Bielle-Ducassou 23
Full match video (Audiense Indivduel)
Match article (FFPB)
Competition context (pelotelive.free.fr)
Annotated linescore: (pelotelive.free.fr)
Group B: Inchauspe-Amulet 40 L. Lambert-de Ezcurra 23
Full match video (Esku Pilota)
Match article (FFPB)
Competition context: (pelotelive.free.fr)
2015:
Group A: Larralde-Bilbao 40 Etcheverry-Ducassou 10
Full match video (Bixintxo Bilbao Youtube)
Match article (FFPB)
Competition Context (pelotelive.free.fr)
Group B: Inchauspe-Saldubehere 40 Elgart-Bonetbelche 37 (no match video)
Match article (FFPB)
Competition context (pelotelive.free.fr)
2014: Larrechea-Harismendy 40 Sorhuet-Ducassou (substituting for T. Etxeto) 19 (no match video)
Match article (FFPB)
2013: Waltary-Harismendy 40 Larrechea-X. Lambert 25 (no match video)
Match article (FFPB)
2012: Ibarola-Harismendy 40 Bielle-Ocafrain 37 (no match video) Source: FFPB 2013 Assemblee Generale Ordinaire Exercice 2012 (P. 9)
2011: Waltary-X. Lambert 40 Ibarola-Jeannots 21 (no match video) Source: FFPB 2012 Assemblee Generale Ordinaire Exercice 2011 (P. 9) Match article (Naiz--Basque--note: Naiz has score 40-20.
2010: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Waltary-Etxeto 39 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2009: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Sorhuet-Etxeto 34 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2008: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Sorhuet-Ezkurra 32 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2007: Waltary-Etxeto 40 Sorhuet-Ocafrain 19 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque). Agusti Waltary becomes the first non-native Basque to win this competition.
Ibarola (av) played in 5 finals and won 4 (3 consecutive wins from 2008-2010). Ocafrain (ar) played in 5 Finals and won 3.
Iturbe (av), Etcheverry (av), and Jeannots (ar) have all played in 1 Final without a win.
2010: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Waltary-Etxeto 39 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2009: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Sorhuet-Etxeto 34 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2008: Ibarola-Ocafrain 40 Sorhuet-Ezkurra 32 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque)
2007: Waltary-Etxeto 40 Sorhuet-Ocafrain 19 (no match video) Match article (Naiz--Basque). Agusti Waltary becomes the first non-native Basque to win this competition.
Since 2007: (avant-front; arriere-back)
Waltary (av) has played in 7 Finals and has won 5.
Ibarola (av) played in 5 finals and won 4 (3 consecutive wins from 2008-2010). Ocafrain (ar) played in 5 Finals and won 3.
Sorhuet (av) played in 4 Finals without a win.
Harismendy (ar) won 3 consecutive Finals (2012-2014).
Larralde (av) has played in 3 Finals and won 2.
Etxeto (ar) played in 3 Finals and won 1.
Ducassou (ar) has played in 3 Finals without a win.
Bilbao (ar) has won 2 Finals.
Larrechea (av) played in 2 Finals and won 1.
X. Lambert (ar) has played in 2 Finals and won 1.
X. Lambert (ar) has played in 2 Finals and won 1.
Guichandut (ar) has played in 2 Finals and won 1
Bielle (av) has played in 2 Finals without a win.Iturbe (av), Etcheverry (av), and Jeannots (ar) have all played in 1 Final without a win.
