The Leopards triumph in style

Villeneuve XIII Rugby League 40 – Saint-Gaudens XIII 16

Lieu Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Choisy stadium). Spectators 300 environ. Referees M. Nicaud. Half time 32-0.
Villeneuve XIII RL 7 tries from Riguet (10th, 13th, 38th), Giles (18th), Bachoukh (20th), Vergniol (26th), Savar (77th); 5 transformations (10th, 18th, 20th, 26th, 77th); 1 penalty (60th) from Moule (60).
The team: Rouillard – Bouche, Poulain, Malbec, Riguet – (o) Bachoukh, (m) Moule – Escoder – Vergniol, Giles – Revell, Savar, Wambergue. Came into play: Beauvilliers, Kouassi, Gautier, Zava.
Saint-Gaudens XIII 3 tries from Minga (62nd), Hellec (70th), Dumas (74th); 2 transformations (70th, 74th) from Hellec.
The team: Hellec – Pons, Minga, Gorka, Lucas – (o) Dumas, (m) Robinson – Sentenac – Vigneau, Alchin – Aparicio Chlagou, Ader, Béranger. They entered the game: Arréou, Rolland Caparros, Toléafoa, Bernard.
Yellow cards: Ader (13th), Arréou (52nd).

When the composition of the Villeneuve team was announced, we could fear a difficult afternoon. The absence of Jack Aiken, centerpiece of the local defense and attack, was inevitably going to be missed. It was nothing of the sort.

As an observation round, we were treated to a war to gain ground, with the desire for both teams to keep the ball alive. In this game, it was the Villeneuvois who won. From the 10^e minute, on a school attack, Riguet pointed in the corner (6-0). The ordeal for the visitors had just begun, without seeing the light or the ball.

The defense also present

The attacks of the Villeneuvois attackers then followed one another. Riguet (13^e), Giles (18^e), Bachoukh (20^e), Vergniol (26^e) and Riguet (38^e), again, added to the bill. When Mr. Nicaud whistled the end of the feast of the Constant Villegas players, the score was harsh for the visitors (32-0, 40^e). White scapular on a black background, heads held high, like New Zealand Kiwis, Wambergue and his gang joined the locker room aware of the work accomplished. Constant Villegas then warned his team of a reaction from the visitors that was bound to happen. In the Commingeois locker room, the tone rose and everyone called for remobilization.

Logically, the second act showed better intentions on the visitors' side. The Villeneuvoise defense did the job, however, and we had to wait until the 62^e minute so that it does not crack. Minga reached the promised land, two minutes after the locals had collected the two additional points from a penalty (34-4, 62^e). The end of the match was in sight, the Leopards let go of the pressure. Hellec (70^e) and Dumas (74^e) made the grade less severe (34-16, 74^e).

Saint-Gaudens could still hope for the bonus point, but that was without counting on the opportunism of Savar (77^e) which marked the last of the meeting (40-16). Absolute victory! Metamorphosis of a moribund team last season, emergence of a golden generation, the future will tell us. In any case, we want to believe it.