Rugby union – National: US Carcassonne in ambush

At the end of last August, President Benoît Mestre affirmed his ambitions: “The goal is to make the semi-final at home.” A little more than halfway, and even if US Carcassonne is certainly far from being won (5^e), his road plan nevertheless seems to have encountered some hiccups. So much so that on November 19, the day after the “zero point” setback conceded to Langon, the staff was sacked. And the club’s laconic press release: “Following the sporting results of our professional team below our objectives, a questioning is taking place in the management. Manager Jean-Marc Aué and forwards coach Eric Escribano were removed from their positions.“

A jagged journey

Complicated encounters delivered to Domec against Albi (27-19) or Tarbes (29-16), a narrow victory acquired against Chambéry (16-14) at the foot of the Cité, another rather miraculous obtained against Périgueux (14 -12), the Carcassonnais have often toiled on their meadow. The improved success won at the expense of the CSBJ in the den of the old nursery (31-16) and the first victory in history clinging to Massy (6-12) is more akin to the tree that hides the forest rather than fully successful encounters. Because the most annoying thing remains that the Carcassonne game has difficulty unbridled, seducing and convincing. And in these conditions, the Canaries are playing with fire. Unfortunately, they will end up getting burned! Because what was surely not expected were the two defeats conceded at the two promoted Marcq-en-Barœul (34-30) and Langon (32-24). But also this narrow defeat conceded in the money time during a tasteless Classic’Aude (15-18). The time seemed to have come to increase the performance slider.

Electroshock Bernard Goutta

At the beginning of December, Catalan Bernard Goutta was appointed head coach for 18 months. He is associated with Mehadji Tidjini, three-quarter coach, and Andreï Ursache who will continue to coach the scrum specifically. As if by magic, Carcassonne wins two successive victories in Suresnes (9-24), then in Albi (28-31), respectively semi-finalist and play-off of the p editionrecent. Honestly not planned either! Eight points taken in two matches, enough to move forward, revive the club’s colors and boost morale before the break.

Correct assessment, but can and must do better

At the end of the 15th day, USC is in fifth place in the group with 49 points, ten lengths behind leader Chambéry and six behind co-runners-up Narbonne and Rouen. For comparison, last season, at the same stage of the competition (i.e. after 15 days), the Canaries occupied second place in the National, tied on points with Nice (51), just in the wake of leader Narbonne (52). . The seventh, Périgueux (41), was ten units behind. Four months before the end of the preliminary phase (April 26), the Carcassonnais have 12 matches (including seven at home) to close their gap of six points on the current co-runners-up in the group and thus achieve their first objective: play a semi-final at home.

A widening gap

Apart from the fact that the competition’s big names are setting a hellish pace at the front, the other observation that can be made is that this season, the gap is widening significantly between the Top 5 and the others. As proof, if during the 2023-2024 financial year, four points separated Périgueux (7^e41 points) from sixth Suresnes, five from fifth Chambéry and eleven from leader Narbonnais, it’s a total change of pace this season. Indeed Bourg-en-Bresse (7^e38 points), is seven lengths behind Albi in 2024-2025 (6^e45), eleven on the fifth Carcassonne and already twenty-one… On the Savoyard leader!

To confirm this trend, it is interesting to note that this season, the leading trio composed of Chambéry (59), Narbonne and Rouen (55) has more points than last season’s leader Narbonne at the same period (52). . Now remains that if a trend emerges, as the proverb says, it is at the end of the ball that we pay the musicians…