Pro D2. At 14 for half an hour, VRDR missed two match points and fell to Montauban!

What does a Pro D2 match mean? Surely at the half-dozen meters that Lucas Méret missed during the winning penalty (80^e). 50 meters on the right, the Drôme fly-half was unable to find the physical resources to send the ball between the poles and offer the VRDR's second away victory this season. A second match point missed after his penalty too far to the right and much more accessible (75^e).

Even if they played 30 minutes at 14 against 15, after the yellow of Girlando (34^e) and the red of Vargas (60^e), the Damiers went on defense as rarely this season, to contain a Montauban team which was sorely lacking in confidence. In vain, because unlike Méret, Mouchous did not tremble to score three decisive points (25-23, 78^e) taking advantage of a foul in the scrum, following a no-pressure forward from Joris Moura.

>> Pro D2 results, rankings and schedule

Two nice VRDR tests

This setback will hit the Drôme heads on the way back and this Saturday during the rest day because they have given themselves the means to win. In the moment after a first period that tasted like a sleeping pill (6-3, 40^e), Valence-Romans returned with his teeth scratching the parquet on the synthetic turf of Sapiac. And while the mercury was getting dangerously close to zero, the Drômois made sure to warm up the handful of supporters of the 16th checkerboard present this evening. First by Thomas Rozière who ultimately brings to fruition an action initiated by Lucas Méret and extended by Pauvert and Moura (6-10, 43^e).

A first banderilla planted in the body of the USM bull. The second is Anatole Pauvert who will plant it, after a magnificent deep pass in a half-volley from Louis Marrou (9-17, 53^e). A first outburst which put the Damiers on the path to victory but that was without taking into account the gradual return of the locals, pushed by the low attendance at Sapiac (3,500 spectators). Baptiste Mouchous achieves a 100% kick before Yvan Reilhac materializes the numerical superiority of the locals, who made good use of a new blocked kick from Matteo Rodor (20-22, 69^e). The last 10 minutes, Damiers supporters have already seen them a lot of times this season. The VRDR will be able to take the victory train twice, but will ultimately remain at the platform.