The Stade Niçois continues its flawless run this season by defeating Aubenas at the Georges Marquand stadium. A wide victory (45-7), Nice now becomes the only club still unbeaten in the championship.
“Issa Nissa!” shout the supporters of Stade Niçois. After two draws and two wins in four matches, the Nice team offered a true spectacle by beating RC Aubenas Vals, 45 to 7. So far, this is the largest victory for the Azuréens since the start of the 2020/2021 season.
A first half lacking try opportunities
After ten minutes without scoring a single point, it was the visitors who opened the scoring through Matthew James, who scored three penalties for the men in red and black (0-9; 25th minute). In this context, it was difficult for the locals to respond. The Niçois tried to resist the assaults from Aubenas and committed fouls.
But penalty attempts went astray for Aubenas, who couldn’t score any points in this first half. Just before the whistle, Nice intervened at the right moment. After a scrum five meters from the try line, the Niçois number eight, Martin Freytes, scooped up the ball and scored the first try of the match. James successfully kicked the conversion, giving Nice a 16-0 lead at the break.
Nice unleashes
The second half couldn’t have started better for the Azuréens. Try by Julien Fritz between the posts. An unmissable conversion for James, and Nice led 23-0, pulling away on the scoreboard. Augustin Slowik added to it, scoring a converted try from the substitute fly-half, extending the lead to 33-0 and shattering any hope of a comeback for the Aubenas team.
A slight relaxation was felt on the Niçois side with a series of fouls committed. The locals took advantage to score their first points, a converted try, making it 33-7 for Nice.
But the Southerners did not want to stop there and get scared, especially since the goal average can be crucial at the end of the season. On a maul, the center Lionel Mapoe crossed the entire field to touch down in the try zone for the fourth Niçois try. James missed the conversion, but his team comfortably led 38-7.
To close the match, the Stade Niçois pressed the accelerator one last time. On a counter-attack from the visitors, the Aubenas team was under pressure and committed fouls five meters from their goalposts. The referee went between the posts to award a penalty try to Nice (7-45, 75th minute).
Although there were six minutes left to play, the match had been decided for some time. The match ended with Nice winning significantly 45-7, retaining its runner-up position behind Bressane with 12 points in the standings. Still unbeaten, David Bolgashvili’s men will host CS Bourgoin-Jallieu at the Stade des Arboras on October 25th.
