Tied for last place with their Marseille neighbors, the Nice team will have a tough challenge against a strong Bourg en Bresse team, which is seated in second place in Group 2, just two points behind the giant Montauban and with a game in hand. Needless to say, the Bressans will be eager to achieve a result at Arboras, which would allow them to take the lead in the championship if they secure a bonus-point win.
With just three points on the board, the Nice team will need to show courage and determination to try to catch up with the pack comprised of Romans, Châteaurenard, and Nîmes, who are already five points ahead of the Azureans (with Nîmes having one game less and Châteaurenard one game more). Jean Anturville’s men must beware of defeat as they will need to push themselves to overcome one of the formations not only favored to top the standings but also possibly to enter the race for promotion to Pro D2. A defeat wouldn’t be catastrophic for the Nice team, but a good result against Bourg en Bresse would allow for a much more serene preparation for the visit of Romans on December 4th.
For Bourg en Bresse, the record is nearly perfect with a victory on the first day against Romans (6-30), then at home against Nîmes (23-14), Castanet (39-19), and Châteaurenard (36-0), and finally a victory by default against Marseille. For Nice, who have traveled four times in five matches, the journey has been far less perfect, with defeats away to Castanet (33-14), la Seyne sur Mer (24-15), Saint-Etienne (38-16), Montauban (22-16), and a home draw against Châteaurenard (16-16). Two almost opposite paths for these two teams, each seeking victory, preferably with a bonus point to either take the top spot in the standings or avoid the last.
Let’s hope the field can provide the solutions that seem to be sorely lacking behind the scenes, because, as we all know, when morale is high, everything goes well!
