Nissa Rugby has confirmed its excellent start to the year by achieving a convincing victory over CS Bourgoin-Jallieu (45-5) during this 16th day of Nationale. Ranked third before kick-off, the team from Nice perfectly upheld their status, while the team from Bourgoin, ranked twelfth, once again suffered away from home. It was a match controlled from start to finish by the team from the French Riviera.
In the first few minutes, Nissa Rugby imposed its pace in their den. The possession was local, the territory too, and Bourgoin struggled to leave their half. This domination was realized in the 12th minute: after a long phase in the 22 meters, Taufua SA found the opening and scored the first try of the match. Owen Williams converted and gave Nissa Rugby a 7-0 lead.
Five minutes later, Bourgoin complicated matters for themselves. Fabien Faroni received a yellow card for an infringement on the ground. Reduced to fourteen players, the Isère-based team suffered even more from the impact of Nice. In the 23rd minute, Tyrell Joshua completed a well-constructed move and scored the second try. Owen Williams converted once again.
Nissa Rugby dominated all areas: clean set-pieces, aggressive defense, and quick transitions. Bourgoin, too undisciplined, could not maintain momentum. The only bad news for the team from Nice was Owen Williams leaving the field with an injury in the 35th minute, replaced by Flavio Asquini. At halftime, Nissa Rugby logically led 14-0.
Bourgoin briefly responds
After the break, the Bourgoin staff made several changes to try to change the momentum. The effect was immediate: more present in the contested areas, the visitors finally found a gap. In the 49th minute, Davit Gvelesiani finished off a close-range sequence to reduce the deficit (14-5).
But this reaction had no follow-up. The rhythm of the match then broke due to numerous changes on both sides. Bourgoin fell back into their old habits, particularly in terms of discipline. In the 60th minute, Saba Pesvianidze received a yellow card, leaving his team short-handed once again.
A one-sided last quarter-hour
This exclusion opened the door to a completely dominated end of the match by Nissa Rugby. In the 63rd minute, Flavio Asquini, who came on during the first half, scored a try after a fine combination in the opponent’s 22 meters. He missed the conversion, but Nissa extended the lead to 19-5.
The rest turned into a demonstration. In the 72nd minute, Leo Chauvin completed a major play, and Asquini converted to make it 26-5, securing the offensive bonus for Nice. Four minutes later, Alexis Bouton had his moment after a perfectly executed shift. Another conversion by Flavio Asquini took the score to 33-5.
Bourgoin, overwhelmed, could no longer contain the Nice waves. In the 79th minute, Arthur Duhau Mourguy scored another try, again converted by Flavio Asquini (40-5). In the last action of the match, Alexis Bouton completed a double, sealing an undisputed victory (45-5).
With this clear success and seven tries scored this evening, Nissa Rugby confirmed their momentum and status as a serious contender for the finals. Solid, disciplined, and efficient, the team from Nice once again demonstrated their ability to accelerate at the right moment and suffocate their opponents. In the standings, they move to second while waiting for the result of Narbonne. Next week, the team from the French Riviera will play away on the field of Massy, who are also competing for a top 2 spot. Kick-off is on Friday at 8 pm.
