The Azuréens start the match perfectly. After good work from the forwards and a series of charges, the Drômois commit a foul on their 22-meter line as early as the 2nd minute. A penalty well within the reach of Rudi Dames, the South African scrum-half of RNCA. However, he sends the ball to the post. The player from the southern hemisphere is struggling to regain his level of play from last year. After two more misses, the Nice coach Christophe Moni replaces him in the 30th minute with Jean-Pierre Rey. Romans then lead 3-0 after a drop goal by Rémi Bard in the 29th. The first half is territorially dominated by Nice. The Drômois rarely cross the halfway line. On the other hand, the yellow and black from the Alpes Maritimes have no try opportunities. The match is tense. The thousand spectators at Arboras, chilled, are tense. The match is a turning point in the championship. A defeat and Nice can already prepare to play the Play Downs at a points deficit. A victory and RNCA regains morale for the upcoming matches. With pride, the Azuréens forwards push their checkered counterparts to propel Dean Moxham, their New Zealand flanker, into the in-goal. The try is converted by Desjardin and Nice leads at halftime. (7-3).
The second half resembles the first. Nice dominates but is clumsy. The balls are monopolized by the front eight. The three-quarters are merely waiting for them. Only the winger Youssouf Dramé manages to stand out on a few occasions. Ricco responds to Desjardin. 10-6 at the 54th minute. The Azuréens are then in for a scare. Jean-Pierre Rey and Adien Malavart each receive a white card. At 13 against 15 Drômois, the inevitable happens. After a clever kick, full-back Steeve Sargos scores behind the in-goal. Romans take the lead again with fifteen minutes remaining.
With the same pride, that of the last breath, the Niçois raise their level of play. The forwards trouble their adversaries who get penalized. Twice, Thibaut Desjardin executes the punishment and puts his team ahead 16-11. The stoppage-time drop goal seals the score (19-11). However, it is not insignificant. It prevents Romans from leaving with the offensive bonus point.
Nice suffered but the Azuréen XV deserved their victory. The forwards were key to the victory: solid in the mauls, powerful in the pick-and-goes, and thorough in line-outs. The basics of rugby were respected. The gameplay was simplified compared to the last match against Aubenas. It gained in effectiveness. Against the Ardéchois, Nice also dominated but was countered. The lesson was learned.
Dean Moxham, as usual, was brave. Grégory Herrera, the number eight, was impressive in physique and dedication. He went to challenge the opposing back row from the 1st to the last minute. Arguably the best signing of the off-season. On the Romans side, Steeve Sargos’s excellent match in full-back and then at fly-half is commendable. The former Grassois and Biarritz player, captain of Senegal’s team, showed the quality of his kicking game. It’s valuable to have such a player on your team when you’re confined to your camp. You just need to give him the ball to gain fifty meters and allow his fifteen teammates to catch their breath.
Nice remains at the bottom of the pool 3 of Fédérale 1 with 5 points. Romans is fifth with 10 points, just one point away from the 4th qualifying place for the Play-Offs. Next Sunday, the Azuréens will travel to Bédarrides (Vaucluse), currently third. The Drômois will host the leader Aix en Provence.
