Second defeat for Stade Niçois in 7 games. After a 15-day break, David Bolgashvili’s men returned to the field against the undefeated leader Dijon, who had yet to lose in this pool 4 of Fédérale 1.
Yesterday, the Stade players brought back a valuable bonus point from a complicated away match against the undefeated leader, Dijon. The Azuréens remain third in the standings despite the 23-18 defeat.
At kickoff, the coach decided to make some changes by giving playing time to players who have been little used since the beginning of the championship. Thus, only the winger Matthieu Bonnet-Gonnet retains his place in the starting XV. The beginning of the match favored the locals who imposed their power, and the Dijon pack dominated their Niçois counterparts.
The Dijon kicker, Jules Soulan (a former player from Agen in ProD2), successfully landed 3 penalties in the first half. The Burgundian scrum outclassed the Azuréenne scrum, allowing the locals to approach the try line. In the 31st minute, Stade Niçois yielded and conceded a try, allowing Dijon to extend their lead to 14-3. However, the visitors did not give up. On the contrary, just before halftime, the teammates of captain Geoffrey Cazanave crossed the line thanks to the good work of the forwards. Stade closed the gap to 14-8.
Many mistakes
The dynamic of the second half was the same as the first 40 minutes. The locals took the lead thanks to the indiscipline of the Stade players. The Dijon kicker, Jules Soulan, punished the Niçois errors with three more penalties. David Bolgashvili and his men entered the last 10 minutes with a 12-point deficit (23-11). They brought a suspenseful twist to the Bourillot stadium with a collective try two minutes from the end. Nice managed to secure the defensive bonus point at 23-18 but could not overturn the match. Thus, Stade Niçois fell for the second time this season but remains on the podium in pool 4 (3rd).
Next Sunday at Arboras, the Azuréens will have the opportunity to widen the gap on their competitors with the reception of Bedarrides (6th).
Pierre Ferrand
