In a final for the top spot in the standings, Stade Niçois remained unbeaten by asserting their dominance with a 47 to 15 victory over their runner-up, Albi.
In a sold-out Arboras stadium, everything was set for Stade Niçois to retain their first place. The club from Nice broke their attendance record with over 3,000 people present to support their players. At kickoff, both teams were tied at 91 points, so the decision would be made on the field. The stakes were the top spot in the regular phase of Nationale. And above all, the opportunity to host the semi-final of the playoffs.
In a fiery atmosphere, the players from Nice started perfectly by opening the score in the best possible way. On the wing, Luca Cutayar flawlessly managed a two-on-one situation and passed to his winger, Andrezj Charlat, who scored the first try of the match within five minutes of play. It took until the 21st minute for Albi to respond. The visitors equalized by scoring a converted try.
As often this season, Alexandre Compan’s men showed composure and demonstrated a strong ability to respond. After 10 minutes at a tie, the locals regained the advantage and ignited the Arboras. Persistently hammering the try line, it was Sione Anga’aelangi who set his team free. Luca Cutayar’s teammates finished the first half in a rush and pulled away. The center took advantage of the good work by his forwards to cross into the promised land. The Niçois went to the locker room with an 11-point lead, 21 to 10.
Masterfully Controlled
Albi committed a foul early in the second half, and Mathis Viard wasted no time in adding three points to the scoreboard. He followed up by penalizing the visitors in the same manner three minutes later. But after fifteen minutes into the second half, the Albi team rallied and scored a new try, reducing the gap but still trailing by 12 points. To make matters worse, the visitors lacked discipline and offered Nice opportunities and penalties to increase the score.
The Niçois capitalized on these chances to keep their opponents at a safe distance. And, as is often the case, even with the runner-up as their opponent, Stade Niçois inflicted the minimum fare on many teams by surpassing the 30-point mark. As often, the scoring machine, Andrezj Charlat, crossed the line to score a double.
With 5 minutes remaining, the decision was made, and Nice was set to win. The red and blacks maintained their home unbeaten record and simultaneously claimed the top spot in the standings. Charlat would score a hat-trick, and Pupuma would conclude another offensive festival for Stade Niçois. They will host a Nationale semi-final. Stade Niçois is now just 160 minutes away from moving up to Pro D2.
