The fourth is the correct one. After three failures in five years at the semi-final stage (2019, 2021, 2023), Vannes broke the glass ceiling on Friday evening by winning at home against Béziers (27-21) in the semi-finals of Pro D2. The Bretons will play a historic climb to the Top 14 next Saturday at the Ernest-Wallon stadium in Toulouse, against Grenoble, winner of Provence Rugby on Thursday evening. But this Friday, the RCV trembled until the last second, shaken, and manhandled by a beautiful and playful team from Béziers.
Last week, the latter managed to overthrow Brive in the final seconds, after a final action of 80 meters. Friday evening, when it was trailing 27-21, it tried again to move up the field, but was stopped by an astonishing refereeing decision, a whistled forward. The image shows something else, a voluntary forward from Paul Surano, the Vannes winger. This choice provoked the anger of the Hérault bench, which had already seen the refereeing body refuse three tries, and caused a scuffle… A sad and brutal end for Béziers who tried, all the time, throwing the ball back from the four corners of the field with an exceptional Gabin Lorre. This creative background, not preserved by Montpellier. The adventure of Pierre Caillet’s men therefore ended on the pitch at the Stade de la Rabine.
Unruly Vannes
For Vannes, the season continues with a final to be played, against Grenoble, the favorite of all the followers of this difficult and interminable Championship. To compete, Vannes, which scored three tries by Romain Camou, Cyril Blanchard and Theo Beziat, will need to have better hands, panic less, be cleaner on its outings and be much more disciplined (around ten penalties conceded and a yellow card in the 65th which could have been costly). Carried by a very strong pack, and dominating in the scoring zone, and by the skill in front of Maxime Lafage’s poles, Jean-Noël Spitzer’s group has a week to prepare for this final. This will undoubtedly be done without Anton Bresler, the experienced second-
line, released due to concussion.
