The Nice stadium triumphed (11-9) against Massy in a complicated match due to the rain. The Niçois are tied for first place in this Nationale 1 championship.
For the ninth day of the Nationale championship, Stade Niçois hosted Massy. A return home for the red and blacks after their away defeat against Chambéry. For the occasion, the Nice coach made six changes compared to the XV that lost to Chambéry. A difficult match given the weather conditions. Under torrential rain for 40 minutes, Stade Niçois returned to the locker room with a three-point lead scored by Romain Riguet. Yet, the number 12’s teammates spent three-quarters of their time in Massy’s half of the field.
The visitors struggled with retention and gave away many balls. Unfortunately for the Niçois, they lacked the right pass or kick to capitalize on their good opportunities. Often arriving five meters from the line, they failed to score the first try in a match that was dominated for the moment but took time to unfold. With this heavy rain, it is understandable that hand-play was more difficult than usual.
A More Open Second Half
At the start of the second half, the Niçois scored the first try of the match through Luvuyo Phindile Pupuma. The conversion was missed, but the Niçois led 8-0 after 50 minutes of play. The Massicois responded and scored a drop goal through Hugo Verdu. The score was 8-3. The rest of the match was competitive, and Massy came back to within two points. Thanks to two penalties by number 10, Hugo Verdu, the Northerners put pressure on the Niçois, but it wasn’t enough, the Niçois held on despite the weather and won (11-9).
Next meeting, November 10, on the Blagnac pitch. They will need to confirm this good victory and continue to aim for their hopes of moving up to pro D2.
