Promoted to Regional 1, for the first time in its history, Entente Sud Haute-Marne, which occupies 7e and penultimate place in the standings at the break, is despite everything close to the soft underbelly of the championship.
The Entente Sud Haute-Marne, promoted to Regional 1 for the first time in its history, which ended the year 2024 with an honorable defeat (14-29) against the undisputed leader of the group Nancy Seichamps, did well performed in 2024.
With a record of four victories for five defeats, the Chaumonto-Langrois occupy 7e and penultimate place in the group. But this championship is very tight because they are only three points away from 4e place held by the Cheminots de Strasbourg. As Jacques Rachet, the Entente forwards coach, points out, the position in the standings is far from alarming. “The position in the ranking is not too worrying in itself for a promoted person. We are not far from the soft belly. It's super tight. It's not a big deal. During our first two matches, we played the top two in the standings which was not the case for our direct competitors. We discover this level of Regional 1. We are not down in the ranking since we are only three points from 4e place. At the start of the season, we managed to beat Saint-André-les-Vergers,” confides Jacques Rachet.
Like its last meeting against the undefeated and undisputed leader of the championship, Nancy Seichamps, the Entente Sud Haute-Marne proved that it could compete with the best teams in this championship. “We managed to make them doubt by having a very great home match. There are positive signals. We are capable of existing in this championship which is not the case for Mulhouse which is in the reconstruction phase. The descent will not take place in the rankings, but during a play-off match.”
Objective 4e place
For this year 2025, the objective of Sud Haut-Marnais is to reach 4e place synonymous with “play-off” and maintenance in Regional 1. “The 4e place is achievable given the timetable. The big point of the season was the defeat (6-30), at home, against the Cheminots de Strasbourg. The championship is very dense and all points count. »
Captain Adrien Delblouwe's partners will have the opportunity to redeem themselves from January 19, for the resumption of the championship for what could be the turning point of the season. “This first match of 2025 risks determining a lot of things. A victory on Alsatian soil would open up other prospects for the end of the season, especially since we will then continue with the reception at Châlons,” declares Jacques Rachet. The Entente Sud Haute-Marne has reached a level compared to last year. “Today, the team is more structured and relies less on individuals. We need to improve the quality of our training. You have to put in the right ingredients. We must learn to manage the intensity of meetings. »
One thing is certain, if the Entente Sud Haute-Marne were to go down at the end of the season, it would really be a disappointment. “For the moment, we do not have the level of the top of the table. I remain very wary of the format of this championship because we are not immune to a bad surprise. We must stay in Regional 1,” underlines Jacques Rachet. Entente Sud Haute-Marne hopes to be spared injuries. “Rugby is a sport that leads to injuries. We had several important players like Jérôme Lutz. Our captain missed the start of the season. Despite everything, this year we have bench depth which can be our strength. No team is spared from injuries. This will not be an excuse. “.
The reserve a good satisfaction
The good news at the start of the season comes from the reserve which was able to be fielded at each meeting. “She had some good matches. We were thus able to bring a few juniors into the group. This is very important because the future of the club depends on training. This team still has room for improvement. She obtained results that were consistent. This training, which does not take the light, constitutes a crossing point in our development,” concludes Jacques Rachet. There are five matches left for Chaumonto-Langrois during this first phase to try to obtain 4e place synonymous with maintaining Regional 1. And it starts with a victory from the restart against the Cheminots de Strasbourg.
Romain Randoing
