the essential
Starting tomorrow, the young Leopards players return to their stadium to face Pia in the Coupe de France.
It's not easy to play a sporting event just after New Year's Eve. And yet the Federation had the good idea to schedule Villeneuve 13 Pia in the Coupe de France this Saturday, January 4 at 4 p.m. at the Choisy stadium.
This beautiful display in this competition obviously reminds us of the feat achieved by the “green and white” (success 6 to 4) against this same Catalan team more than a month ago. That day with a very violent wind, the pioneer club had put the barbed wire in the defensive sector in front of a superior opponent on paper who had moved to the banks of the Lot with perhaps a little too much confidence. “It's true that we have already beaten this big team in the championship and that we will perhaps leave with a small psychological advantage but the Pianencs will not want to make the same mistakes” warns coach Constant Villegas who knows full well that his team will not he will have absolutely nothing to lose against the players from Roussillon who can boast of having several former Super League players in their squad.
A good start to the season for the Leopards
Just before the confectioners' break, the Leopards achieved a small feat by winning in Lézignan (20-18), demonstrating all the progress made by this young team for 2 seasons now. “It’s a shame that we weren’t clinical enough on our highlights. At the Moulin, we had to take cover earlier with 2 failed attempts near the line” added the Villeneuvois field man. But while Villeneuve 13 overturned the table in the Corbières, the Pianencs brought down the Carcassonne ogre on their lawn (26-24). “In my opinion, this Catalan team is going to be formidable in the second half of the season with a huge midfield and experienced players.” No doubt, the Baroudeurs de la Salanque will not make the trip to the bastide as tourists but with the fierce desire to give back to Jo Wambergue's teammates and to enforce the hierarchy. “Even if we do not have a large squad to play on both tables, we will not waste the Coupe de France and we will defend our chances against Pia with our weapons” concludes Constant Villegas. For this very first match of the new year, the technical staff of the Leopards should present a group quite similar to the one which won at Lézignan with most certainly the return of center Guillaume Poulain.
France
