At the end of a fierce and closely contested match, Stade Niçois was defeated by Aubenas this Friday evening, 12-15. A defeat at the climax of suspense marks a pause for the team from the Côte d’Azur.
There were no tries scored this Friday evening at the Arboras stadium, but the match delivered all it promised in terms of suspense. For 80 minutes, the teams from Nice and Ardèche challenged each other in a strong battle that took time to decide its winner.
Despite the disadvantage of being away, it was indeed Aubenas who started the match better. Several possessions and very long sequences eventually resulted in 3 points from Florian Lavaux, rewarding the Ardéchois in these first minutes.
However, Nice, being very pragmatic, seized every opportunity to come back. Twice, the local team capitalized on their rare forays into the opponent’s area to level the score, thanks to Florian Romain (6-6, 26’).
But it was Aubenas who dominated this first half. By perfectly alternating between running and kicking plays, and showing interesting offensive moves, they maintained possession, and Florian Lavaux, with 6 more points from penalties, pulled them slightly ahead. Yet, the last penalty from Romain mitigated the damage for the struggling Niçois in the first half (9-12).
The Niçois more dominant but less realistic in the second half
Back from the locker room, the determined Niçois quickly closed the gap, but the visiting kicker allowed Aubenas to regain the lead immediately (12-15, 50’).
More incisive and precise, the Côte d’Azur team controlled the proceedings in this second half. They had three opportunities to equalize but persisted with penalty lineouts. These decisions led to several intense moments within the Ardéchois’ 5-meter area, without them giving an inch. Despite a numerical advantage in the final minutes, the Niçois failed in their quest for a try. Opposite them, although dominated, the Aubenas players were effective in defense, cohesive, and disciplined, securing a very precious victory at this top tier ranking.
This 15-12 defeat, the second home loss of the season, halts the 7-match winning streak for the Niçois and now leaves them 7 points behind Aubenas, a strong second place and provisionally qualified for the ProD2 promotion playoffs.
For Stade Niçois, a response is expected next week in Bedarrides to keep hoping for one of the top two spots.
