Rugby (Pro D2). Winner with the Oyonnax bonus, SU Agen pays for “Alfred’s Tour”

SU Age 28 – Oyonnax 14

Lieu Agen (stade Alfred-Armandie). Spectators 6 066. Arbitrator Mr. Hervé Lasausa (Nouvelle-Aquitaine). Half time 7-6.
YOUR AGEN 4 tries from Etcheverry (35th, 56th, 65th), Martins (80th+1); 4 Pourteau transformations (35th, 56th, 65th, 80th+1).
The team: Pourteau – Tolot, Muscarditz (Belan, 67th), Garrigues, Etcheverry (Martins, 67th) – (o) Searle, (m) Bellot (Maunder, 15th-28th; 64th) – Fineanganofo (Lokotui, 47th), Gayraud, Lebian ( cap.) – Eissmann (Farré, 47th), Olmstead (Eissmann, 76th) – Burin (Farrance, 59th), Socino (Jouvin, 64th), Lombard-Buret (Guion, 59th).
OYONNAX 1 try from Godener (78th); 3 penalties from Smith (25th, 39th, 47th).
The team: Bogado (Godener, 59e) – Sweetnam, Rabut (cap.), Mensa (Sawailu, 46e), Ikpefan (Bogado, 71e) – (o) Smith (Holmes, 64e), (m) Lobzhanidze – Miquel, Ramototabua, Picault ( Lebreton, 47th) – Fabregue (Johnson, 61st), Johnson (Lebas, 55e) – Oz (Tafili, 30e-63e), Narisia (Geledan, 47e), Bordenave (Abraham, 47e).
Yellow card: Ikpefan (34e, anti-jew).
Red card: Ramotabua (13th, dangerous tackle).

LThe Armandie public can say a big thank you to Lucas Martins. The Portuguese international winger not only allowed the SUA to win its first improved victory of the season after the siren (28-14), on an interception “worked” during the week with the defense coach, Adel Fellah. But he also offered “Alfred’s Tour” to all the spectators who were treated to 30 minutes of Happy Hour after the final whistle. She's been waiting for this tour! But it certainly comes at the best time for a team which remained – like its evening opponent – ​​on a series of four consecutive defeats. It was well worth going for a drink at the bodega before returning to the locker rooms!

“To say that it’s a bonus for us tonight is a great expression,” says manager Sébastien Calvet. Yes, it's a real relief. Everyone knew that we were very tense throughout the week. This is why it was important for us to get back into the game very quickly. » The Agenais were well helped by Oyomen reduced to 14 from the 13^e minute and which plunge into the red zone (15^e) just a few weeks after leaving the Top 14. With this improved success, Julien Lebian's partners have “boosted their confidence” while they still have to host three times over the next four days. Now 11^e with 7 points ahead of the Ain players, the Agenais are breathing a little easier now.

Gone are the days of cathedrals

In this “match of fear” for these two former Top 14 players, the first period was – as expected – tense and tense. The small point lead at the break (7-6) in favor of the Agenais was not enough to relax the atmosphere of a sparse Armandie stadium which was holding its breath. Julien Lebian's partners, who had to wait seven minutes before crossing the halfway line, had not yet been able to fully take advantage of a first turning point from the 13^e minute. Even if Notre-Dame de Paris will reopen, the cathedral tackle is still prohibited in Rugby. The third Fijian center line from Oyonnax, Ramotabua, saw red after turning over the Agenais scrum-half Bellot, who landed on his head.

“To say that it’s all a bonus for us tonight is a great expression. Yes, it’s a real relief”

Despite their numerical superiority, the Agenais were unable to find the fault in a well-established defense. Stubbornly refusing to take penalties, since “the watchword was to dare”, Sébastien Calvet's men came up against a red wall. A nice touch combination which put Socino into orbit in his lane could have hit the mark, but the Argentine hooker “exploded” the ball three meters from the line (31^e). A voluntary forward from Ikpefan further deprived the SUA of the try on a pass from Searle for Tolot (34^e). The Oyonnaxian winger received a yellow card which gave the Agenais a double numerical superiority. They took advantage of the following scrum to offer Etcheverry his third try of the season (35^e).

The hat-trick for Etcheverry

But with two penalties from their South African opener Smith (25^e39^e), the Oyomen ultimately did well. A shudder even ran through the Armandie bays when Searle was blocked in his 22 meters by Rabut who failed to flatten (42^e). Author of a 3/3, Smith nevertheless gave his team the advantage (7-9, 47^e). While the atmosphere became electric on the field, the old Agen demons began to resurface in the image of this new ball lost in touch in the 22 meters Oyonnaxiens (51^e). But the work of undermining the SUA forwards, in numerical superiority, would end up paying off during the last twenty-five minutes when the Ain players did not see much of the ball.

Following yet another penalty, the Agenais were still unable to break through in force. Searle then adjusted a precise crossbar for his winger Etcheverry who doubled the lead (14-9, 56^e). Less than ten minutes later, the two men were still decisive in a first-hand attack behind their scrum. A chistera from the English opener to cross with the child of Mouguerre allowed the SUA to make the break and Etcheverry to sign his first hat-trick among the pros (21-9, 65^e). The Agenais still believed they were losing the offensive bonus at the last minute when Godener crossed the line (79^e). But after the conversion of the defensive bonus for Oyonnax returned by the left post, Martins capsized with happiness an entire stadium 38 seconds after the siren. What if the tide had finally turned?