A close match for Stade Niçois on day 12 of the season against Bourgoin. An important encounter as it allows Nice, favorites in the match, to maintain their place in the top 3 of the standings.
On this 12th day of the season, Stade Niçois faces Bourgoin at home. For Nice, it’s an important match that would allow them to maintain their place in the top 3 and maybe even reach the first place in the standings. This match also serves as a challenge to continue their unbeaten run at home following their last victory at home against Bourg-en-Bresse.
The match began with 1 minute of applause to pay tribute to Mathis, a young rugby player found dead in Toulouse in early November. The score opened in the 5th minute with a perfectly executed conversion by Alexandre Compan’s men. This was followed in the 11th minute by another conversion, this time from the Berjalliens to level the score at 3-3. Then Bourgoin demonstrated real endurance from a defensive standpoint, unfailingly repelling the Nice attacks, which often brought them close to scoring a try. Weakened, the opposing defense allowed Nice to score a conversion in the 38th minute. Bourgoin immediately retaliated and converted in the 40th minute to equalize just before halftime (6-6).
A tense second half
The second half starts strong with a conversion right from the start by Stade Niçois. (9-6) And another conversion in the 48th minute for Bourgoin, who doesn’t give up and keeps up with Nice. (9-9) No tries are scored by either team, engaging in a real battle on the field. It’s a match with few points, but of rare intensity. The ball goes back and forth on the field without ever crossing the line. The tension reaches the players, who at the end of the match argue following a rough contact. The match, with Nice as the favorite, ends in a 9-9 draw, allowing them to remain 3rd in the standings.
Next meeting on Saturday, December 16 at 3 PM, to see Stade Niçois face Périgueux at home again.
