The Stade Niçois emerged victorious this Saturday evening against Hyeres-Carqueirannes (27-21) at the end of a very competitive match. A precious victory that allows the club to get within 1 point of the 2nd place.
It was tough, but the essentials are secured for the Azuréens. Buffeted and trailing 0-8 after 10 minutes of play, the Stade took its time to get back into the game and capitalized on the opponent’s yellow card to finally make the difference and take the lead at halftime (10-8).
After the break, Var winger Radevokula surprised the defense and allowed the visitors to regain the lead (10-13). A back-and-forth ensued, but the 2 tries scored by the locals allowed them to maintain the advantage (24-18). Hyeres-Carqueirannes then closed the gap to 3 points about ten minutes before the final whistle, but Villanove’s last penalty gave the Niçois some breathing room, leading them to eventually win 27-21 in a suspense-filled finish.
A narrow victory that is very important because the Stade takes advantage of Narbonne’s defeat to come within just 1 point of the 2nd place qualifying for the promotion playoffs.
The next match is next Sunday at Châteaurenard to continue the good streak and keep alive the hope of a promotion to ProD2.
