Rugby (Pro D2): setback for the SA XV in Béziers

The editorial team advises you

AAlexandre Ruiz would obviously have preferred another outcome for his return on Friday to Béziers, a few kilometers from his beloved Portiragnes, in front of friends and family. In front of the elders of the house who came as neighbors. Narbonnais Paul Belzons and Erwan Nicolas. Hadrien Daures too.

Building on the momentum of its good month of October, the SA XV was looking for a fifth consecutive match without defeat, a fifth away without losing. The two beautiful series are finished.

He left the Raoul Barrière stadium empty-handed (29-13). This is only the second time this season that he has finished a match with zero points, after the September disaster against Mont-de-Marsan in Chanzy.

Marques puts on his tour

This time, the Angoumoisins did not founder, but they suffered from the law of Biterrois who had their backs to the wall before the meeting and who knew how to be effective in building their success around Samuel Marques.

The Hérault captain and scrum half stands much better and is much more inspired on the pitch than at the “Nuit du Rugby” counter.

Author of 17 points from kicks with 100% success, he constantly set the pace for his team, even if the Biterrois were not necessarily reassured at half-time, reaching a three-point lead (9- 6).

First thirty first sterile minutes, no observation either given the aggressiveness displayed by the two teams in the confrontation zone. Or this counter of Texier's face, symbol of the state of mind of an SA XV efficient in defense, on the momentum of its previous outings.

Unfortunately much less in attack, since he was regularly penalized in possession of the ball in the opposing 22. When Béziers, cheaply paid on a forward from Lorre while the door to the test was open (25^e), was content to collect the points by Marques. Three penalties to which Botica responded twice.

We said then that things were not off to a bad start for the Angoumoisins. That the more time passed, the more the fire that was smoldering at Raoul Barrière at kickoff ran out of steam.

Too often penalized in the offensive phase

The Angoumoisins were also the first in action after the restart, very close to the goal before being penalized in the offensive phase for an obstruction (42^e).

There are opportunities that should not be missed. Marques, at 35 years old, knows this perfectly. The best player in Pro D2 last season took advantage of a new penalty to widen the gap (12-6, 45^e), before scoring the first try of the match with a perfect reversal of play which opened the way to the goal for Lorre (19-6, 54^e).

And things were not getting better for the SA XV, regularly caught at fault – with the flu? – by Mr. Coulon. In the fifth of the second period, he brought out the yellow for Lemardelet and Marques added three points (22-6, 59^e).

A double break which would last only three minutes, since the immediate reaction of the Angoumoisins resulted in a penalty try behind a carried ball (22-13, 62^e), accompanied by the double penalty: yellow for the Biterrois Abescat.

The SA XV joins the ranks of this championship which is always so crazy, open and tight.

There was a quarter of an hour left to get something and the SA Small cause, big effects: a minute later, Anon, entering Place Marques, scored the second Béziers try (29-13, 67^e). It was definitely the evening for the house scrum-halves.

The Angoumoisins did not give up, however, but the last ten minutes were a reflection of their evening. A scrum at 5 meters in their favor sanctioned. Then a touch at 15 meters.

Until this final possession, this last sequence in the opposing five meters, which ended with a forward. Quite a symbol.

Too ineffective in its highlights, unlike Béziers, the SA XV therefore falls into line with this championship which is always so crazy, open and tight.

Fourth at the start of the eighth day, he slipped four places and will host Agen in eighth place next Friday at Chanzy.

Where he will be expected to rebound. More like relaunch.

Alexandre Ruiz: “A non-match collectively”

Alexandre Ruiz (manager du SA XV): “We did not do things consistently with what we wanted to put in place. We were taken by the intensity, by the fight. We had a non-match collectively. I don't have the feeling that we have been crossed. We were at 92% successful tackles at half-time.
They tried to target the spaces in relation to the way we defend, but even so, they have three penalties because they go offside. When we get broken, it's more of an individual error in the middle of the field like in Gabin Lorre's try. There is a pick and go try, a try on a missed tackle, but until then I had not seen our defense in difficulty. These are more individual errors than a defensive organizational system which was faulty. It was more the state of mind that disturbed me.
(On the SA XV much sanctioned in attack). It's complicated, I don't want to take a position on things like that. I didn't know that we could go over the rucks to catch the relay player and fall back into the opposing camp… I can name plenty of them but I don't want to get into that pattern. »