a shock at the top in front of 600 spectators and a victory on the gong of Clisson

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When Quentin Jouanneau begins his run-up while the timer has already exceeded 80 minutesthe fly-half perhaps knows that he has the most important transformation in his young history with SAC Clisson at his fingertips.

And for good reason, the outcome of this clash at the top against the Cholet leader would depend on this kick, and perhaps a little more.

In a tight championship at the top of the Regional 1 ranking, every point will count at the end of the first phase and a defeat at home against a direct competitor would probably have marked a halt in the good season provided so far by the Clissonnais.

Victory at the end of Jouanneau’s foot

So all of this is at stake in this final kick, because before Quentin Jouanneau sets off, SAC Clisson is well and truly behind at the mark. During this rough game, the Vignoble Nantais XV chased the score for 90% of the match!

The fault is partly due to a first half where the Red and Green are too impatient and undisciplined. Taking advantage of three penalties against the poles, RO Cholet widened the gap thanks to the efficiency of its kicker before half-time (9-0).

I never really doubted because in Rugby, the score can change quickly. We were unable to stop this avalanche of penalties. When you give too many balls back to your opponent, you end up paying. You also had to be patient and not want to score straight away. What we lacked in the first half where we lacked patience in front of the lines.

Hot end to the match

The awakening of the Clissonnais therefore waited until the second half. On a recovery ball and after a good kicking game, Julien Paquereau sacrifices his shoulder to put his team back in the game (9-7).

If Quentin Jouanneau gives his team the advantage briefly with a penalty (10-9), the first and only Cholet try of the game allows them to regain control (16-10).

But carried by a resort in Val de Moine hotter than ever (600 supporters in the stands), Clisson finally managed to reverse the trend. In the last five minutes, the stands rumbled while the forwards pounded the Cholet defense which somehow contained the final attacks.

Disagreement between the two referees

The solution will ultimately come from winger Alexis Samson, whose corner try allows his people to return to a point before the fateful transformation (16-15). If the SACC players know that they will hold their breath until the last moment, they probably do not expect such an incredible end to the match!

Hit in the corner, the transformation takes the direction of the poles, hits the post and falls just behind the goal. Problem, the two touchline referees – a player from each team positioned in goal – don’t seem to agree as to whether the ball actually passed between the posts.

“We know we can beat everyone”

But after a long consultation, the central referee validates the transformation and offers victory to SAC Clisson!

Our players are now uninhibited against the other big teams in the group. We know that we can beat everyone and that’s rather reassuring. Overall, our victory was not undeserved. They score on three penalties and on their only testing situation. We produced almost the entire game, although it wasn’t perfect.

This success, as narrow as it may be, is worth a lot because with the defeat of Saint-Herblain. He offers first place in the ranking to the Clissonnais, two weeks before going to the players from the Nantes suburbs.

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