These are the kind of moments where we would have liked the beautiful story not to end. At La Rabine, in Vannes (Morbihan), the Biterrois fell 27-21 during the Pro D2 semi-finalin a hotly contested match. Nearly a thousand Hérault supporters made the trip to Brittany.
Author of a spectacular season, the Biterrois, who few expected at this level of the competition, had nothing to lose. It showed on the ground. In better shape than a timid RC Vannes who lost a good number of balls with hand faults, ASBH first stood out thanks to its scorer Samuel Marques with a penalty in the 5th minute. 0-3. Béziers could even have outpaced their evening opponent, but they were denied a first try.
Lacking success
Béziers finally cracked a little before half-time, with a first try and a transformation from RC Vannes. To which Samuel Marques responds again with a penalty. 7-6 when the 30 players returned to the locker room. Everything remains possible.
However, the people of Vanne came back with better attention. 14-6 in the 44th. Only, there are evenings when it doesn’t work. Samuel Marques gets steal the ball hands just before tackling for a try. The score remains there. He then hits the post for a new penalty. Faced with the best defense in Pro D2, the Biterrois cannot do it.
“An exceptional season”
They will have fought until the end. But without succeeding in getting back on track. A 27-21 defeat, difficult for the supporters to accept. “I don’t understand, we have two attempts refused,” sighs Alex, “there are obviously bitterness “. Brice shares the same observation “we really had room to win… it’s a shame”. Corinne is also disappointed. At 60, she came by bus from Béziers. 800 kilometers. 12 hours.
However, all supporters agree that “the ASBH season was exceptional”. “The guys, they gave themselves until the end, for us, all season. And we gave them our voice,” explains Corinne. For Alex too, the year “was crazy. I didn’t think I could experience so many emotions thanks to rugby.”
“We laugh all day”
On the supporters’ side and the players’ side, feelings are mixed. Bitterness, the XV of the ASBH has it. But the coach, Jean-Noël Spitzer, will only remember “the human quality of [ses] guys “. “Collectively, it’s been exceptional. This group doesn’t take itself seriously, we laugh all day,” confides Clément Ancely. A beautiful group of friends who is already “looking forward to being back on the field next season”.
For the people of Vannes, the adventure continues. They will face Grenoble, for the Pro D2 final, on June 8, 2024, for a place in the top 14. The Biterrois will return to the Pro D2 grounds, two months later, on August 30, 2024.
