Cn Saturday afternoon, in Comberlin, Langon welcomes Narbonne for what looks like the match of the year, at least in the South Girondin ranks. Is it really necessary to present the opponent of the red and white? “It’s one of the biggest names in French rugby, like Béziers or Stade Toulousain,” says coach Christophe Hamacek. It’s a big club. For the record, a few months ago, they played the Pro D2 promotion match against Montauban. It’s a big team with ambition, great rugby, well polished. It’s up to us to perform as well as the players know how to be at home.”
After leaving a few executives to rest (Gau, Geffré, Mendy, Naivuwai, Vunisa) for the trip to Chambéry (45-3), Stade Langonnais brings out the heavy artillery for the arrival of the Audois. The reception of this big club has a particular flavor for the Sionasa Vunisa center. The 37-year-old Fijian began his professional career in France under the Narbonne colors from 2009 to 2013. The time for him to play 104 matches in Pro D2 and score 28 tries: “Everyone follows rugby there, it “It’s a big club,” he remembers. After playing for Mont-de-Marsan (2013-2015), Tarbes (2015-2019), Cognac (2019-2021) and Graulhet (2021-2023), “Vuni” joined Stade Langonnais in the summer of 2023 where he was unanimous on and off the field.
Shelving and big defense
This season, he is more essential than ever, capable of covering all positions from 10 to 15. In dual license with US Bazas (Federal 2), Sionasa Vunisa played 8 matches with the red and white, 4 with the sky and white. Last weekend, in anticipation of Narbonne, he was able to take a breather and enjoy his third “off” weekend since the start of the season: “We can’t do without Vuni, he will obviously start,” confirmed Christophe Hamacek at the start of the week.
“We can’t do without Vuni, he will obviously start”
Beyond rugby, the manager is admiring about the Fijian: “I have enormous respect for him. He gets up at 4 a.m. to put things on the shelves. The Saturday of the match against Carcassonne, in the morning he was working, in the afternoon he was on the field.” Facing Racing, Vunisa will be at the center of the Langon attack, facing a great client, Peter Betham (ex-Clermont), and associated with his compatriot, the 22-year-old nugget Adriu Naivuwai. The Fijian duo from Stade are capable of sparking, but the experienced Vunisa points out the essentials: “Defense is Langon’s strong point. In rugby, if you defend well, you win the match.”
In the forecast rain, the Rouge et Blanc will be ready to give body and soul to defeat Narbonne, like the “serial tacklers” Meryll Ech-Chalkha and Thomas Bishop on the third line. “The idea is to move forward, to gain the advantage line all the time. If we manage to do that, we won’t be far from victory,” assures Christophe Hamacek. All of Comberlin dreams of it.
The match
Langon (9th/34 pts) – Narbonne (3rd/47 pts), x Saturday, at 4 p.m. at the Comberlin stadium in Langon.
