The Azuréens achieved their first away win of the season with a score of 20-18, securing the valuable victory points against an opponent they are catching up to in the standings. This victory will allow them to approach the holidays more calmly, at least from a sports perspective, as next Sunday’s home game against Marseille at the Arboras should be a mere formality given the state of the Phocaean club.
Two small points on the scoreboard that ultimately amounted to three, marking a significant boost in the standings for the Niçois in Nîmes territory with an injury-time penalty that Portuguese international Pedro Leal sent between the posts for yet another nail-biting victory. Despite the first try by Kacharava, converted by Malavard, the first half was not in favor of the Azuréens, as it wasn’t enough to lead at halftime (15-7).
The second half finally saw Jean Anturville’s men awaken, showing more creativity and especially combativeness in the game. Therefore, it was almost logical that Malavard, once again the man of the moment, took advantage to reach the try line, converting his own play.
Needless to say, the last minutes were worthy of a Hitchcock film, with a narrow lead in favor of the locals (18-17) and the Niçois eager for every opportunity. It ultimately was a penalty whistled by Mr. Carrillo that gave Pedro Leal the chance to secure victory for his team if successful.
You know the rest…
