It was the match of extremes yesterday at Arboras, and ultimately Bourg en Bresse secured a new and sixth victory in as many games to take first place in Pool 2 of the federal league, relegating the Nice team to the very end of the pack, 24 points behind Bourg en Bresse. It was a bad day for the Nice rugby players who still can’t get off the ground.
And one had to be on time because it was only two minutes after kick-off that the visitors scored for the first time in the Nice end zone, originating from a Nice lineout that ended up in the arms of the Bourg en Bresse scrum-half Maiquez, who didn’t hesitate to take this opportunity to score beyond the line. Conversion succeeded by Eadie, and things couldn’t have started worse for Jean Anturville’s protégés. A duel of kickers followed with Eadie responding to Malavard until a quarter-hour of play, which saw Bourg en Bresse double their score thanks to a masterful kick by Eadie that sent Pages once more into the promised land. Another conversion by Eadie added to the scoreboard a few minutes later with a new penalty. Malavard responded by reducing the score before tempers flared and a general brawl broke out, resulting in the definitive exclusion of both captains. 20-6 at halftime, the outcome was not yet certain, but the sermon had been harsh for the Nice team, stunned and without reaction.
At the restart, testosterone seemed to return to a more normal level, and the kickers exchanged penalties. But, with appetite coming with eating, the visitors pushed further in search of a precious offensive bonus point, thinking they accomplished the hardest part with a third try scored by the nimble Eadie, who converted it to bring the score to 30-9. It seemed the worst was yet to come for the Nice team, but stung into action, the Azur team assumed control of the game, and it was logical that Kacharava took advantage of a series of passes to reduce the score, depriving Bourg en Bresse of the offensive bonus. A small consolation!
Thus, it concluded on a score of 16-30, with the final whistle liberating both teams back to the locker rooms, with cheers of joy on the Bourg en Bresse side and dejected faces on the Nice side. Now remains to prepare for the arrival of Romans, who just routed Marseille on their field (10-43), on December 4th, while keeping a careful eye backstage where the results are unfortunately no brighter than on the field!
The RNCA Women’s Team
A first half dominated by the women from Nice, who did not score, with forwards outplaying their opponents in both offensive and defensive lineouts. 2 tries narrowly missed, and halftime ended scoreless and tied.
A more prolific second half for the young ladies with 4 tries scored (Picat, collective, Dupressoir, and Mallau) and a conversion by Squillacci.
A more collective game that paid off with a 22-0 victory for Nice and an offensive bonus that moved them to 2nd place in the standings with a game in hand.
