It was the last-chance match and unfortunately, the team from Nice could not catch the right train. Now, they would need a miracle to avoid relegation to league B: winning at home against Ajaccio next Friday and then winning in Tours on the last day of the championship, hoping that Toulouse gets beaten at home by the last-place team, Saint-Quentin. This scenario is as likely to succeed as seeing a donkey win the Grand Prix d’Amérique.
Ultimately, it wasn’t the will to win that was lacking for the Nice team, but rather composure in crucial moments. Paris did not dominate the match due to their technical superiority, but rather managed the key moments effectively when needed.
It was in the third set (lost by Nice 24-26) and especially in the fourth and last set, where the locals rallied to secure a comfortable three-point lead but collapsed, going from 18-16 in their favor to a disappointing 25-21 for their opponents.
The pressure which generated nervousness certainly isn’t the best support when you need to tighten up the game to secure a victory!
