For their first match of the Fédérale 2 season (4th division), Stade Niçois brilliantly secured a 25-10 victory against Saint-Savin. The Niçois notably made their mark after returning from the locker rooms, a great debut in front of packed stands.
With sixteen new players, a revamped trio of coaches, and the discovery of Fédérale 2, Stade Niçois began the 2014-2015 season in the unknown this Sunday. Facing them was Saint-Savin, a team familiar with this division and which participated in the playoffs last season. A well-filled Arboras stadium was present to encourage the Niçois squad and put pressure on the opponent.
“With only two friendly matches and many newcomers, we didn’t know what to expect. The last week of training was very good, and we needed to confirm it in the match,” explained captain Romain Catoni after the encounter.
From the start of the match, the Niçois, nervous, were penalized and conceded a try in the 7th minute by an Isère flanker (0-7). A hammer blow that served as a wake-up call for the Niçois fifteen, who twice approached the try line without converting. Fly-half and kicker, Thibaut Nègre, scored two penalties, allowing the Niçois to stay close. It was Saint-Savin who led going into the break, 10-9.
The start of the second half was the real turning point of the match. Nice began with 14 against 15, but Saint-Savin also made a mistake and received a yellow card. In quick succession, Thibaut Nègre scored a penalty and a drop, making it 15-10 for the red and blacks, who were playing in white. The breakthrough came a minute later with the first try for Stade Niçois, scored by center Thomas Mège. The gap was made; in 7 minutes of numerical superiority, the Azuréens put up a 13-0 run, and Saint-Savin would not recover. A final penalty by Maquaire closed the game, with Stade Niçois winning 25-10 to the applause of the Arboras stadium.
“We had a poor start, then we found our resources. Our scrum was dominant, I’m very happy with our lineout, the players took their responsibilities. This first victory in Fédérale 2 means a lot and kick-starts our season,” smiled Ludovic Chambriard, one of the three coaches of Stade Niçois.
