Without flinching, Stade Niçois wins 51-17 against Tarbes and maintains its invincibility at home. They remain the leaders of the pool, after 16 rounds.
Winning always won, that was the objective of Stade Niçois for their third consecutive home game, as the Niçois wanted to keep the top spot in the pool. They were hosting Tarbes, stuck in mid-table. As often this season, the start of the match favored the locals. They quickly opened the score with a try from Andrzej Charlat. Mathis Viard missed his conversion, and Nice was already leading 5-0 just seconds into the game. Alexandre Compan’s men continued their momentum and followed up with two more tries from Romain Riguet, who regained his starter position, and Simon Delas. Mathis Viard missed his second attempt before Romain Riguet took over kicking duties and scored the conversion. After 10 minutes, the teammates of the Niçois center led 17-0.
The match settled into a lull, allowing the Tarbais to play within the Niçois 22 meters without scoring any points. Nice regained control of the game and returned to the opponents’ 22 meters. A final try by Odiete concluded this first-half showcase. After 40 minutes, Stade Niçois was ahead 25-0.
Tarbes has regained some vigor
After a jersey change during the break, the Niçois continued their momentum by scoring a try just seconds after returning from the locker room. Thanks to the strength of their tighthead prop Pupuma, the Niçois put themselves in a secure position. However, while the Niçois were heading towards another offensive show, the Tarbais rallied and regained their footing. One try, then two, then three, and Tarbes came back to 32-17. The dynamics shifted, and the visitors began to believe in an incredible comeback, certainly aided by the yellow card received by the Niçois. But the leader hadn’t given their last word.
Stirred in their pride, the locals restarted the steamroller and scored two more tries. One by the unstoppable Andrzej Charlat and the second, a penalty try. The Niçois definitively sealed their victory and will sleep as leaders tonight thanks to a final try from Simon Delas, who also scored his second. Final score 51-17, with the next meeting for the Niçois. Next week still at Arboras against Narbonne, 4th in the pool.
