Nice dominated the first part of the match but failed to capitalize on their superiority. Change of scenery in the second half as Montauban took control of the match and came back to tie, but their kicker missed a relatively easy penalty at the last minute that could have won them the game. As a result, Nice overtakes Montauban in the standings, bolstering their position for qualification.
General Manager Marc-André Doumergue had announced in the days leading up to the match: humility, willpower, and unity would be key words and preconditions to defeat the leader.
What he might have planned to add was a bit of… luck! Because it’s undeniable that fortune smiled on the valiant Nice team thanks to an overall insufficient performance from Montauban’s kicker who missed 4 out of 7 penalties, particularly the last one which could have reversed the result just before the end of the match when his team had the chance to finally see their efforts rewarded.
It was a knife-edge match between two heavyweights in the pool, both displaying the same ambition: qualification for the finals.
The local team’s domination was undisputed during the first half with impressive gameplay and well-built actions but without the necessary ability to capitalize on this superiority in the score (11-3).
The next 40 minutes painted a completely different picture: Montauban took the reins and the Nice players, fatigued, slightly disunited and lacking appropriate tactical control, fiercely and focused on defense, limiting the opponents to a defensive bonus only.
Coaches Boutet-Johnson will need to seriously address this lack of continuity which leaves their team vulnerable to opponents: already against Béziers and Châteaurenard, we had seen the black-and-purple start the match positively only to end it with difficulty.
Aside from this victory against Montauban, in addition to a fundamental positive result for the rankings, one can remember the unwavering commitment during the delicate moments of the match and the strong sense of group unity.
These are important levers for the rest of the season.
The lineup:
Canizares (Guarese, 49′), Hill (Faurois, 49′), R. Sua (Kaikilekole, 62′) – Penalva (Derrstroff, 55′), Boukanoucha (J. Sua, 65′) – Sainte Croix (Dahbi, 55′), Espagno, Moxham – Delmonte (Guerre, 62′), Mc Hugh – Drame, Mege, Benstaali, Warwick – Mathet
Manu Boutet: “We lacked clarity in the second half, but we’re not going to sulk at having won this encounter. Especially since our first half was excellent. We consistently maintained phases of play despite the rain. Some sequences lasted two minutes, which is good. Afterwards, we struggled to concretize. At times, we got anxious, and as the minutes passed, we lost confidence. Fate had it that we won this match, which we could very well have lost. We are aware of it, hence the necessity to remain humble and work on better managing our weak moments. Now, we remain on a positive dynamic. We can look towards Blagnac with a bit more confidence.”
Will Johnson: “We had a fairly good first half where we followed the game plan well. Despite some mistakes, we deserved to be ahead. Then, after the break, we disrespected the game plan more, we changed our playing style, and it almost cost us the match. We made strategic and technical errors that forced us to stay on defense the entire time. We were under a lot of pressure. We defended well, but it was impossible not to concede points. We are lucky with this victory due to the missed last Montauban penalty. We still can’t play 80 minutes. There’s still work to be done!”
Damien Delmonte: “Given the weather conditions, one could say the first half we played is one of the best of our season. We can rely on it, but we know there is much work to be done.”
Ronny Sua: “I think our group is good. We need to continue to work and fight like this. Montauban came back strong in the second half. But we won. That’s rugby for you. Despite our mistakes and faults, we have the victory. It’s good for morale and for our group.”
