This Sunday (3 PM), Stade Niçois will host Rumilly for the first leg of the round of 16. Brilliant last week against Vienne (16-0), the Niçois do not intend to stop there and plan to shake things up.
This is where it gets serious. Having qualified with a high-quality performance against Vienne last Sunday, the Niçois are entering the knockout stages of Fédérale 2. It’s a surprise for a team promoted from Fédérale 3 this season, but rather a logical continuation given the season by Gilbert Doucet’s men. Throughout the regular season, the Niçois rarely left the Top 4, remaining unbeaten in their home ground at the Arboras.
In the last match of the regular season, team captain Romain Catoni and his teammates relied on an ironclad defense. Achieving a clean-sheet (conceding no points) against the second in the group, Vienne, is an accomplishment given how much their team received praise. In attack, the Niçois found solutions thanks to a good forward game. The only downside is discipline, which will need to be addressed starting this Sunday.
“Everyone needs to understand that playing in the knockout stages is not insignificant. The games are different. For the simple reason that you can’t play matches like you do throughout the season,” admits Gilbert Doucet, manager of Stade Niçois, on the club’s official website.
On the other side, the club from the Haute-Savoie region, Rumilly, has its own strengths to showcase. The club from the outskirts of Annecy, which participated in the Pro D2 from 1997 to 2002, finished second in the highly competitive pool 4 with 13 wins, 1 draw, 4 losses, and 13 bonus points. Although they have achieved five consecutive victories, Rumilly has always struggled against the Top 5, especially away from home.
“We’ve been able to watch them a bit; it’s a team to be taken very seriously as they have a very high level. They didn’t come out second in this tough Alps pool by chance!” details the Niçois coach.
To reach Fédérale 1, they will have to go through two rounds, including a potential round of 16 against neighboring Grasse. But first, there are two 80-minute halves to play, or more in case of a tie on aggregate. And like last week, the 16th man at the Arboras could be crucial.
Photo credit and more information at www.stadenicois.fr
