Domont, Rouen, and Millau: These are the three teams that Christophe Moni’s men will have to contend with, carefully avoiding any pitfalls. Rouen finished fifth in Pool 1 with a total of 35 points, while Millau ended up last in Pool 4, amassing only 11 points. With 27 points to their name, the Nice team isn’t in a great position at the start of these play downs, during which points earned in the preliminary phase are added to the standings. A victory against Domont could thus enable the Nice team to catch up with Domont before the risky trip to Rouen.
While until the last week, it was still possible to believe in a, albeit miraculous, qualification for the playoffs, the last defeat at Beaurepaire (15-6) was heavy with consequences, resulting in a final ranking at the 7th place in the qualification pool and, consequently, a high-level play down pool. The team will have to work hard and not leave any points behind in hopes of finishing in the top two and thus securing their place in Federal 1 for the next season. The Nice group is aware of the task ahead but recent performances have shown that there is still significant room for improvement to raise the level of play and avoid regular downturns during the second half of the games.
The rugby season thus resumes this Sunday on the Plaine du Var, and the Arboras stadium will open its doors for free to all rugby fans and others to show that if the round ball is important in Nice, the oval has managed to reclaim its place.
