This Friday evening the fifth day of Pro D2 was played. To close this first block of the season, Valence-Romans signed its first victory of the season while Soyaux-Angoulême and Montauban achieved two huge performances away from home. Here’s everything you need to remember from this fifth episode!
The confirmation of the evening: the Montois season is truly launched!
To confirm your return to form, what could be better than an improved victory against Brive? Not much, we grant you that. Although dominated at the very start of the match, the Montois finally took the measure of unrecognizable and undisciplined Corréziens. With Willie Du Plessis still excellent at the opening, the Landais gradually distanced themselves from the scoreboard.
In front by seven points at the break, Patrick Milhet’s men took off in the second act. It was Wakaya’s try shortly after the hour mark that sealed the fate of this game. He also gave the Yellow and Black a five-point victory with a score of 33-11. An improved success which gives a breath of fresh air to Mont-de-Marsan, which returns to a few points from the top 6. For the Brivistes, who scored no points in the second half, this missed meeting is a real warning.
The performance of the evening: Montauban plunges Nevers into doubt
It was not a good time to put rugby players out in Nièvre this Friday evening. And yet, we had to fight for 80 minutes.
Well launched by a try from Stéphane Ahmed in the first seconds of play, the Montalbanais resisted in the second act to annihilate all the offensives of Neversois, it must be said, much too imprecise.
A final victory 16-13 for the Tarn-et-Garonnais, who signed their first away success of the season and moved to the top of the table. For their part, the Nivernais close a nightmarish first block and are, after this fifth day, fifteenth in Pro D2.
The cons of the evening: forget Kolbe, here comes Erasmus
We all still have in mind this race by Cheslin Kolbe in the quarter-final of the World Cup, countering the transformation of Thomas Ramos. But do you know the 2024 remake?
We play 42e minute of play at the Marcel Volot stadium when Rodrigo Marta scores Columérin’s second try. Ugo Pacôme, who has the opportunity to give his team the advantage on the transformation, takes his time during his run-up. Enough time to allow South African winger Christian Erasmus to counter the ball and leave Nice in the lead. A short-lived advantage, because Ray Nu’u will come and plant his team’s third try, to allow the Haut-Garonnais to win 19-28 and settle comfortably in second place in the ranking.
The first of the evening: the VRDR finally wins
How they suffered! But the relief was even greater… Well in their boots for 50 minutes and with seventeen points in advance, the Drômois thought they were heading quietly towards their first victory of the season.
This was without taking into account the Agen character. For half an hour, the Lot-et-Garonnais took matters in hand to finally return to five small VRDR units at the hour mark. Until the final whistle, Sébastien Calvet’s men camped at the near the opposing goal, without managing to score. In the end, Valence-Romans won 30-25 and experienced the taste of victory for the first time this season. The SUA must be satisfied with the defensive bonus.
The paid choice of the evening: Aurillac against the tide
The coaches give the instructions, but it is up to the players to apply them afterwards. Facing Béziers, the Cantaliens decided to ignore the recommendation of Roméo Gontineac’s staff.
The context: Aurillac trailed by three points on its lawn after the first 50 minutes, when Béziers opener Charly Malié received a yellow card five meters from his line. The three points are requested on the edge of the field. But the band led by Didier Tison decides to play with the ball in hand, counting on the power of the “big guys”. Well they took it. Two minutes of play later, Eoghan Masterson collapsed in the ASBH goal. A decision that paid off, since it only took one small point (16-15) for Jean-Alric not to fall.
The opportunist of the evening: Drouet takes advantage of the scuffle to score
In a clash like Provence – Oyonnax, it was expected that the players would be pumped up. Indeed, both teams are among the most undisciplined in the division. So, when in the 35th minute of play, a scuffle began at the entrance to the Oyomen 22, we could almost say that we expected it. But what was more unexpected was that the game never stopped. The referee of the match, Vincent Blasco-Baqué, let the action unfold.
And Léo Drouet took full advantage of it.
Given that tempers were heating up on his side, no defender cared about the U20 world champion anymore. He made big signs to his scrum half, so that the latter could play over the curtain of an Aindinoise defense with absent subscribers. The 21-year-old winger received the ball without adversity, scoring his third try of the season and the first of the Provençal evening. Jules Plisson’s partners then rolled out to triumph 38 to 3, taking the offensive bonus at the same time.
The series of the evening: Soyaux-Angoulême, export specialist
The start of the SAXV season is confusing to say the least. Usually, a team that starts its championship with two defeats at home is in bad shape. But Soyaux-Angoulême has something specific this year: it always wins far from its bases. After improving at Aurillac, and correcting those promoted from Nice, Alexandre Ruiz’s men surprised the Dacquois (8-16).
In a long disjointed match, the Angoumoisins knew how to keep their backs and take advantage of the Landes indiscipline (18 faults!) to score. They were also able to take advantage of the balls dropped by Dax to score their only try of the match, signed by right pillar Omar Dahir. In short, the perfect match for a team far from its bases.
