The Stade Niçois secures a 16-0 victory against Vienne and confirms its ticket for the final phases. The red and black team delivered a perfect match against an underperforming opponent. No respite, next Sunday, Gilbert Doucet’s men will face Rumilly.
They did it, and with style. Under pressure for two weeks following their defeat at Chateaurenard (loss 41-20) and needing to secure qualification in the last match, the Niçois responded admirably. The final regular season game took place in front of a large crowd and familiar faces like Pierre Camou, president of the French Rugby Federation, and the deputy mayor Christian Estrosi.
The first few minutes clearly favored the Niçois, who entered the match perfectly, as seen in the performances of Thomas Sorreaux, Thomas Mège, and the unstoppable Viktor Maquaire. It was, in fact, Maquaire, the Nice fly-half, who opened the scoring with a penalty (3-0, 11th minute). The Viennois couldn’t get going and seemed surprised by the physical intensity posed by Stade Niçois. Hampered by strong winds, both Maquaire for Nice and Janisson for Vienne missed their attempts. Fouls accumulated on both sides, and Maquaire was penalized with a 10-minute exclusion for unsportsmanlike behavior. Vienne didn’t take advantage of this numerical superiority, as they were sloppy with every ball. Towards the end of the first half, Mège broke through for over 40 meters but met with the opposing defense.
Right from the start of the second half, Stade Niçois regained control of the ball and saw their efforts pay off. The hard work of the forwards allowed the Niçois to advance about twenty meters to score in the in-goal area. The first try of the match seems to have been executed by prop Redouane Boussetta, converted by Maquaire (10-0, 43rd minute). Fouls continued on both sides (14 in total for Nice, 11 for Vienne), and the Niçois number 10 added points with penalties (13-0, 45th minute). Around the hour mark, the second-placed team behind Grasse finally put pressure in the Niçois half but faced a steel-like defense. Akkaoui’s temporary exclusion did not change the course of the match. Maquaire put his team safely ahead (16-0, 63rd minute). Only Dahbi got the home crowd on their feet with three breakthroughs. The Nice crowd, armed with flags distributed by the club, could exult and congratulate their favorites.
“We’re happy tonight. Qualification, zero points conceded against the second team, it’s not insignificant. We were diligent in training, and we followed the instructions on the field. We aimed to stay in the competition, but as the saying goes, ‘appetite comes with eating,’ and now we are in the finals,” says the slightly emotional captain Romain Catoni.
Even during weak moments or while down a player, the Azuréens showed great solidarity to thwart the Isère players’ attacks. This is an important virtue as the final phases approach, where defenses often take precedence over attacks. A new championship begins, and Nice could indeed be a real disruptor. See you on Sunday at 3 PM for the first leg.
“It was important to produce such a performance even if everything wasn’t perfect. We fought for every ball despite the palpable tension of a last match. Now, we will appreciate it properly. For what lies ahead, we will proceed cautiously. It would be great to make the break from the first leg,” admits Nice manager Gilbert Doucet.
