First day of the championship for Stade Niçois and the first trap for the team from the Côte d’Azur that is seen as a giant (large budget, big recruitment, great ambitions, significant sponsors) and has the obligation to move up after several years of disappointment.
This afternoon, in Saint-Jean-en-Royan, a village in the Vercors, it will be rural rugby versus the rugby of big cities. But as they say in such situations, it’s always 15 against 15.
And the locals will take great pleasure in attempting to bend the renowned visitors.
David Bogaschvili, the coach of the stadistes, is aware of this: “Above all, it is the quality of the opponent that I fear,” he said, referring to the (curiously) uneven playing field that adds an element of unpredictability to the ball’s bounce.
Moreover, last season, his team fell through on this very field…
