Pro D2: against Grenoble, Nissa Rugby wants to make a big statement

After a frustrating trip to Brive, Nissa Rugby hosts Grenoble this Friday, September 18 for the 4th day of Pro D2. A consistent approach for everyone: correct the indiscipline to deliver a full 80 minutes and preserve their home invincibility.

The defeat in Brive is in the past, but the performance delivered last week leaves reasons to believe in better days ahead. The Eagles gave the Brivistes a run for their money before being weighed down by numerical inferiority. A red card in the 20th minute followed by a yellow card definitely opened the gaps through which the opponent rushed.

“We had a very good start to the match, we attacked the first half very well, managed to hold the ball and put in place what we had worked on,” points out fullback Julien Farnoux. The spirit was very good. But there was this turning point in the match with the red card that understandably destabilized us a bit and created space, Brive took advantage of it. What we took from it was the spirit and the good things we did despite being down to 14 men.“

The Nice coaching staff is treating this problem of repeated fouls with perspective. “It’s a red card and a yellow card on situations we can improve. We’re working to improve technique. Discipline is something we work on a lot, we talked about it throughout pre-season and these first three matches. We just need to be more precise in technique,” notes forwards coach Emiliano Bergamaschi.

An opponent not to be underestimated

Facing them is Grenoble, a regular at the top of the table. The Isère side is experiencing a sluggish start to the championship, 8th in the Pro D2 standings and still lack consistency in play. For the Nice side, there is no question of getting ahead of themselves or counting on any opponent failure.

“We know that it’s a very dominant team with a strong pack. They’ve been at the top of the Pro D2 table for several years now. They have quality everywhere, forwards and backs,” recalls flanker Enzo Labadie.

Julien Farnoux also refuses to focus attention on the opponent’s temporary weaknesses. “It’s true that Grenoble isn’t managing to play complete matches for now, but we know the quality of their squad and we know that in one match it can click. Those are factors that are hard to rely on so we need to stay vigilant.“

As for the past and previous encounters (two losses in two matches during the 2024-2025 season, editor’s note), the squad refuses to give them any weight. “The squads have changed, the momentum is no longer the same. Thinking about matches from two years ago would be a serious mistake,” the Nice fullback says bluntly. What we want is to test ourselves against this type of team and impose our game.“

Making Marcel Volot sacred ground

For this encounter, Gareth Baber’s men are aiming squarely for victory. Driven by a large squad where rotations bring freshness without lowering the quality of the collective, the Red and Black also count on the support of their fans to tip the match in their favor.

“It’s always important to have a full stadium […] We have a very committed group, an excellent atmosphere and the fans push behind us,” insists Emiliano Bergamaschi. “Home matches are important, we know that. We don’t put any particular pressure on ourselves with that, but it’s certainly an objective for us to win our home matches and we’ll do everything to win this match,” concludes the Azure fullback.

Nissa Rugby will want to continue their momentum. The last home match had proven them right with a complete performance and a convincing 43-6 victory. All that’s left is to continue on that momentum tomorrow night at 7 p.m.