Pro D2: Nissa Rugby reassures itself against Nevers and leaves the bottom of the standings

In an important match between two poorly ranked teams, Nissa Rugby defeated Nevers, not without difficulty. After a strong first half in which they scored four tries, the Eagles scared themselves in the second half, but won, with the offensive bonus, 32-17.

Facing the bottom-of-the-table Pro D2 team, Nevers, Nissa Rugby wanted to reassure itself at home by pocketing a second victory this season. Stuck in 14th place in the standings, the opportunity to climb back to mid-table was perfect for Gareth Baber’s men.

After a difficult first part of the championship, with only one victory for four defeats, the Maralpins approached this match with the obligation to react, facing a team with deceptive results.

As Sports Director Matthew Clarkin revealed yesterday in a press conference, trusting the USO Nevers standings would be a serious mistake: «they haven’t won, but they’re not beaten by anyone. We’ve seen in all their matches that they were competitive. We expect very serious opposition.»

A match off to a flying start

The Azureans made no fuss in the opening of this match. Serious in intent, very aggressive, they suffocated a Nevers team that quickly cracked. After a long phase of territorial domination, a good outside pass allowed Clément Egiziano to score the first try of the evening, converted by Jean-Pascal Barraque, 7-0.

Shortly after, the Maralpins breached the Nivernais defense again with a high-class passing combination. It was Julien Farnoux who came to ground the ball on the left of the posts, in a Marcel Volot stadium in turmoil after this fine movement. Jean-Pascal Barraque converted again, 14-0 after 10 minutes of play.

The only blemish, the try conceded in the 20th minute did not dampen the spirits of the home side. After two tries through passes, Nissa Rugby showed its power. In the 29th and 34th minutes, the Nice side scored two tries through force. The first, through flanker Enzo Labadie, the second thanks to Clément Martinez. Less success with conversions, but the gap seemed to widen, at halftime, Nissa Rugby led 24-7.

Scares, but victory in the end

Accustomed to difficult match endings, as against Grenoble a few weeks ago, Nissa Rugby thought it would face its old demons again. Until the 60th minute, the two teams neutralized each other, failing to score a single point, but the visitors stepped up a gear.

In the 63rd minute, after a big possession phase, Efitusi Ma’afu revived hope in the minds of the Nivernais. Try converted, 24-14, the Nice side possessed only a ten-point lead with a quarter of an hour left in this match.

In the final minutes, both teams showed imprecision, as if the stakes of climbing the standings had taken precedence over the game. Nice scared itself greatly, particularly in the 71st minute, with a try awarded then disallowed to the visitors for a foul.

But this time, no comeback from the opposition, Nice sealed its victory in the final minute in a stadium in turmoil with another try from Clément Egiziano. The Azureans won (32-17) and obtained the offensive bonus at the end of this match. An excellent result given how sluggish the second half was.

In a press conference, Nissa Rugby president Jean-Baptiste Aldigé had no doubt: « yes I am satisfied, but especially relieved. It’s a match scenario that resembled the Grenoble one. I had the impression that over the first 30 minutes of the second half, we did everything to get them back into the match. In the end, it tilts in our favor tonight, so it’s a happy ending for us. »

Thanks to this victory, Nissa Rugby provisionally climbs to 10th place in the standings pending the final results of this sixth day of Pro D2. Next appointment next Friday at home, at 19:30, against Provence Rugby, a solid second in Pro D2.