After the heavy defeat suffered at Saran, Cavigal managed to secure a draw against Massy (29-29). Back at home against the 3rd in the championship, the team from the Azure Coast fought valiantly to earn a precious point.
At the start of the match, the Nice team came out strong with a precise duo of backs who, however, had to force their shots too much. This was due to a very solid defensive Massy team pushing the red and blacks back on set plays. They constantly stepped up to challenge their opponents at 9 meters. But the Nice team responded and gained a slight advantage thanks to four goals from their backs (4-2).
At the quarter-hour mark, the team from the Île-de-France region took the lead with a perfect top-corner shot from pivot Aguilar. Massy built its game on speed, not giving their opponents time to catch their breath. With quick engagements, they took advantage of changes between phases of play to launch rapid attacks.
Nevertheless, the team from the Azure Coast did not shy away from the physical battle with the 3rd ranked team in Proligue. They provoked the first two-minute suspension at the 20th minute. The red and blacks earned a 7-meter shot missed by Jeremi Pirani. Luckily, the ball fell back into his hands, allowing him to adjust and score past the Parisian goalkeeper. The left winger got a second chance three minutes later and was once again stopped by Gauthier Ivah (10-10). In the 28th minute, Francilien number 7 Pierre Halimi received a red card for hitting a Nice player on the face while in the air. This left them with one less rotation at the pivot position.
Returning to the locker room, Cavigal led 14 to 12 with a last-second goal from Oppedisano. Unfortunately, they failed to take advantage of the numerical superiority. This included two turnovers that could have been avoided. With 15 minutes to the final whistle, both teams made mistakes likely due to fatigue and the high intensity of the game. However, it was the Azure Coast’s sharpshooter Alexis Bon who stepped up to beat the Francilien goalkeeper (23-19). Despite his efforts, he penalized his teammates by receiving a two-minute suspension during the crunch time (27-25). Just before returning to full strength, the red and blacks were once again handicapped by a penalty. Massy took this opportunity to equalize for the first time in almost 40 minutes.
With 15 seconds left, Nice earned a 7-meter shot, which Oppedisano converted to equalize and secure a nearly disappointing draw, considering the dynamics of the match. Number 12 finished the match with seven goals at a 100% success rate.
