The Nice Stadium (4th) will host Bedarrides (3rd) this Sunday (3 p.m.). It’s already a crucial match for the Nice team, who must be impeccable at home to aim for qualification in the play-offs.
The scenario from the first leg of the match may still be a sore point for the Nice team. A defeat by a single point (17-16) that could prove significant at the end of the season. That’s why this reception of the Vauclusians, for the first match of 2015, is more than important. With eight matches remaining in the regular season, the Nice Stadium needs to secure all victories at home and, if possible, not allow a defensive bonus point (loss by less than 7 points) to their opponents.
Before the holidays, Nice recorded its first away victory of the season. It was at Fréjus-Saint-Raphaël (36-3). Before this important success, which allowed the Nice team to move up to fourth place, the Nice Stadium lost at Vienne (20-3) and at Saint-Savin (15-12). With three offensive bonus points (4 tries or more) achieved at home, Nice is one of the top attacks in Group 3.
“Bedarrides is a direct competitor for the Top 4. They are a team that plays a combative rugby. They play and score a lot of points like we do,” explains Ludovic Chambriard, the backs coach of the Nice Stadium.
For their part, the Vaucluse club is coming off three consecutive victories, including a very impressive one against the leader, Grasse (37-14). So, a complicated match is expected for the “red and blacks,” marked by emotion after this week’s tragic events. Both the Nice team and Bedarrides will stand united as Charlie.
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