Just before the end-of-year holiday break, and thanks to its three away successes, Racing Club Narbonnais took its place in the Top 2 of the Nationale just behind leader Chambéry. The teammates of an indestructible Paul Belzons have a favorable second half of the season to qualify directly for the semi-final.
The calendar
Building on its three consecutive away successes, added to its invincibility at home (5 matches) and two previous victories away from the Parc des Sports (Tarbes and Bourgoin), Racing climbed onto the second step of the podium just before the truce (55 points). Above all, the orange and black assured to take their destiny into their own hands. Because in the second part of the season, the Audois will host seven times (Albi, Tarbes, Chambéry, Bourgoin-Jallieu, Périgueux, Carcassonne and Langon), for only four trips (Rouen, Marcq-en-Barœul, Massy and Bourg -en-Bresse) in 12 days of the championship.
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A significant advantage when we know that Rouen (55 points) and Chambéry (59 points), Racing’s two main competitors in the Top 2, will have the reversed schedule – seven trips and four receptions –. Obviously, the confrontations between these three teams will dictate the final schedule at the top of the National.
All the same, we must not bury Carcassonne, Périgueux or Albi, capable of being a troublemaker.
The player
In this first half of the season, Paul Belzons has – very – largely been the player most used by the Racing staff. The Narbonnais captain has 929 minutes on his clock. Better yet, he has played 80 minutes in each of the last eight matches. In fact, he had already played the entirety of three matches at the start of the season. The third wing missed only one match in 14 days, and it was to host a happy event.
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Behind him, winger Pierre-Hugo Ducom has 84 minutes less to his credit (845), then comes center Peter Betham (800), second line Marius Antonescu (739) and fullback Boris Goutard.
Favorite: the workforce
Racing has proven its great depth. Over the first 14 days of the National, Narbonne used 44 players from its professional group. This shows how important it is to have so many players capable of playing at this level. However, the Aude staff never really upset their team from one match to the next, the trio of coaches never made more than 10 changes like during the last trip to Suresnes last Saturday (19-20 victory). ).
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As is customary in Narbonne, the formation took a strong position in each composition. On average, Racing put 10 players from its training center on its first 14 match sheets. Thus, two players had their professional debut this season, fullback Hugo Clauzel and hooker Adam Moulahya. And others could follow by the end of the season.
The highlight: Périgueux
Taking 40 points away from home, especially on the pitch of a direct competitor for qualification, is never trivial. On the soggy Roger-Dantou pitch, Racing experienced a nightmarish afternoon (40-13 defeat). “There was no revolt”, “We didn’t exist”at the final whistle, the assessment of Narbonnais president Xavier Marco was clear, his team had missed the meeting in Périgueux. When manager Julien Seron confided: “I’m angry, annoyed. We were beaten. We were tortured. We were knocked down. This spanking is not consistent with our objectives”.
If Racing wants to finish the regular phase in one of the first two places in the National, it will not be necessary to reproduce this type of performance.
