The Stade Niçois only managed a draw yesterday at the Arboras stadium against Hyères Carqueiranne with a score of 20-20. These two points allow the Niçois to maintain their 3rd place in the standings.
Starting the match in 3rd place, the Niçois had the opportunity to pull ahead of their competitor of the day, Hyères (4th with 5 points difference). Missed. After defeating the unbeaten leader Dijon last week, the team from Var arrived at Arboras Stadium with a slightly reshuffled team. The players from Var completely dominated the start of the match, scoring two tries in 10 minutes. The locals were trailing 12-0 in the 13th minute.
RCHCC prevented Stade Niçois from having any ball possession. The Niçois’ play was disrupted, and they could not launch their game properly. However, the locals managed to come back, thanks to a personal feat by the third wing, Jonathan Mace. Just like the first half, the second half was dominated by the Hyérois. They were even leading 20-13 following a third try. The Niçois saved their pride by equalizing 10 minutes before the end.
An unexpected but also frustrating draw
Two points lost or two points gained? When you look at the first 75 minutes, it’s definitely two points gained since David Bolgashvili’s men were dominated. But when you consider the last 5 minutes, one may think that victory was very close.
After scoring their second try, which allowed them to equalize at 20-20, the Niçois (finally) imposed their power and speed. They even reached 15 meters from the Var’s goalposts just minutes before the end of the game. The teammates of captain Jeremy Malavard strung together phases of play trying to earn a penalty. Missed. One might even wonder if the Niçois genuinely saw themselves winning. A drop goal and the answer would have been yes.
A podium before a big away game
The two points from the draw do not change the situation for the Niçois. They remain on the 3rd step of the podium and keep a 5-point lead over Hyères Carqueiranne. Next week, they face another significant challenge. A trip to Bourgoin to try to secure points against the second-placed team.
Pierre Ferrand
