the essential
Players from US Montauban (Tarn-et-Garonne) are enjoying their trips to SU Agen (Lot-et-Garonne). On the evening of Thursday, November 14, 2024, they achieved a completely logical success, during the eleventh day of Pro D2. Everyone played their part magnificently.
In a world where memories are only fleeting, we have to go back a long way to find a trace of a victory for SU Agen Lot-et-Garonne in its lair of Armandie against US Montauban. The Tarn-et-Garonnais won for the third time in a row, Thursday November 14, 2024. As if history was repeating itself inexorably.
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In the stands of Armandie, we heard the bass drum of Ultra Sébastie Planard throughout the match, as did the chants of the Sapiac supporters for 80 minutes, with half-time as an intermission.
Commitment and discipline
How to explain this victory? We can put it to the credit of the collective served by individuals, who had not left their scores in the locker room and were not mistaken about what they had to do. There were the two scratchers: Captain Fred Quercy and Jérémie Maurouard; tacklers: the entire team who managed 136 when the opponent was satisfied with 69.
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We will also emphasize discipline, with no cards taken, without this taking away from the commitment. For Sébastien Tillous-Borde, however, his players could have avoided two or three penalties without too many problems. The precise and long footwork, with the metronome Jérôme Bosviel and Baptiste Mouchous, will also have been a marker of this success.
The pace of the match perfectly controlled
The Montalbanese full-back, who wants to play everything and is never tired, was exemplary from start to finish of the match. He took an active part in the first try. He saved a touch by taking his momentum from outside the field and then bringing up a large number of balls, being effective on high balls.
Jérôme Bosviel never trembled, passed a drop from 40 meters, missed another by very little from 62 meters. He managed the end of the meeting perfectly with Hugo Zabalza, making two volley saves in their 22 meters, as if to rest the rest of the team when it was simply necessary to keep the score sheet.
Two scoring centers
And what about Josua Vici, sometimes so much criticized, who scored a try thanks to a classy chistera, in a mouse hole, for Simon Renda. It was this same Vici who lay down under the immense William Demotte, avoiding the try which could perhaps have changed everything.
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Stéphane Ahmed was brilliant on the other wing, with his accelerations and his hooks. This time his personal exploit will be crowned with success, for the first attempt of J.-T. Jackson. The Simon Renda and J.-T centers. Jackson were at the conclusion of the three trials. In front, everyone recited their part, proof that the collective is only served by individuals.
The players seem interchangeable
Faced with a team which knew the importance of the meeting by hosting one of the leaders of the championship, everything was not perfect. Like the touchline, where a few balls were lost, but nothing to do with the last victory against Nice (34-30) on November 8, 2024.*
Always in the footsteps of excellence
After ten games, Fred Quercy's teammates had 31 points, the highest number of points with the “2017-2018” season. After the eleventh day the “Green and Black” counted 35, which is still the largest number, since the club's rise to Pro D2, in 2014. To stay on this crest line we will have to win in Brive since in “2017-2018” Montauban had 39 points after 12 days. That year, USM lost in the semi-final, in Sapiac, against Grenoble. We can also say, like the Sapiacain staff, that the team has 35 points and that statistically it takes 57 to maintain itself.
This can be explained by the changes that are put in place by Sébastien Tillous-Borde during each day of the championship. A turnover which can confuse the opponent, suggesting that it is not the typical team that is playing. Is there a typical team this season in Montauban? The players seem interchangeable.
And now, in Brive?
As a result, US Montauban is undefeated in Sapiac and has always brought home points, except on the first day in Dax (12-24). “In 15 days, we will go to Brive. Who can blame us for losing there? No one. We will go without pressure, to take points and win if possible. This is the basis of rugby”, the captain reflected aloud Fred Quercy, after the victory in Agen.
The championship takes a one-week break, before the match at the Amédée-Domenech stadium, still Thursday November 28, 2024. That must also mean something!
