New victory for the players of Stade Niçois, 25 to 15 against Macon. Facing a direct competitor (5th in the standings), the team from Nice starts 2019 in the best possible way.
Tenth victory for Stade Niçois. Two weeks after the catch-up game in La-Seyne-sur-Mer (winning 19-13), David Bolgashvili’s players returned to the field against a direct competitor for the podium. 3rd at the kickoff, the players from Nice sense the trap against Macon, who were the big winners against leader Dijon (37-13) in the previous round.
The two teams are wary of each other, and it is evident during the first half. Combined with the lack of pace due to the holiday season, the game was slow to start. Defenses dominated the game and prevented the play from opening up. Only 3 penalties were noted, and the kickers took charge. Florian Romain converted two and allowed Nice to lead 6-3 at halftime.
It was the complete opposite in the second half. Five tries were scored, and plenty of play ensued. Stade Niçois took control and scored three tries in 20 minutes, notably thanks to two penetrating mauls. Viktor Maquaire scored the temporary bonus try following a raid of over 60 meters. With 10 minutes remaining, Nice led 25 to 3 and secured the offensive bonus. However, the visitors scored two tries in the final minutes and took away the bonus point from the hosts. Final score 25 to 15, the main thing is there.
Nice, second!
Thanks to this victory, Stade Niçois occupies the 2nd place in the standings, tied with Dijon and one point behind Bourgoin, the leader of the pool. The Bergalliens opened this 13th day with a 5-point victory over Bédarrides (35 to 08). Meanwhile, Dijon fell for the second time in a row at Chambéry 39 to 17. The top three (Bourgoin, Nice, and Dijon) are therefore separated by only 2 points.
The next appointment for the players of Stade is on Friday at 8:45 PM for the reception of Chambéry, the team that defeated Dijon. It’s the rematch of last September 15th and the first defeat 24-21 of the red and blacks.
