The Stade Niçois players achieved the feat of the day in Federal 1 by winning 22-16 in Narbonne. An away victory against a direct competitor puts the Niçois back in the race for promotion to Pro D2.
It was the resumption in Federal 1 this Saturday evening after the Christmas break, and it did not disrupt the Niçois who went on to achieve the feat of winning in Narbonne to continue their winning streak.
A perfect match from the very first minutes where the Stade players immediately took the lead thanks to a solo try by Paul Champin. Despite a reaction and Narbonne’s dominance, especially in the scrum, the Niçois players were ahead at the break (10-17) and could believe in the feat.
An unbearable end to the match
Gougeon’s try early in the second half gave the visitors a break (10-22) who then huddled in defense to contain the assaults of the Narbonne players. The last half-hour was entirely in favor of the locals, who occupied and camped in the opposing 22-meter area without ever crossing the line. Due to errors such as knock-ons, indiscipline, or missed touch kicks, the Narbonne team had to settle for 2 penalties to get back to the defensive bonus within 5 minutes of the end (16-22). But, until the end, the situation remained tense, as the locals were very close to snatching the victory after several phases of play within the Niçois 5-meter area. Finally, after a final simulated scrum, Florian Romain sent the ball into the stands and sealed the first victory for the Niçois in 2020.
A well-mastered and realistic away success that allows them to come within 5 points of their evening opponent, who stands second in the ranking.
Next match, next Saturday against Hyères Carqueirannes to confirm this feat and continue the unbeaten series that has been ongoing since November 10th.
Thomas Pradon
