From the dunce cap to the front row. After the scuttling of Aurillac, Fabien Fortassin's students showed on Friday that they had understood the lesson of Cantal, and also that they had the capacity to react just before the big exam, as was the case on Friday against a solid team from Mont-de-Marsan who for his last trip of the calendar year had gone all-in on this meeting. With, as a scarecrow, third line center Ioane Iashagashvili, who after launching his career in Drôme (2022-2024), wanted to show how much he had grown in Landes. But the Georgian went through the meeting like the ghost of the player he was when he played at VRDR, also fallen, it must be said, against former teammates who did everything right to spoil his return.
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Initially a little under the fire of the Mons game, the teammates of captain Adrien Roux knew how to defend with intransigence for around ten minutes, repelling the danger with great force whenever they had the opportunity. Then, little by little, thanks to a very good conquest, touches and scrums included this time, and to a judicious footwork in Méret and Moura style to gain ground, the VRDR began to invest the opposing camp and to place your pawns wisely. An increase in power which made it possible to obtain a penalty which Méret hastened to achieve (3-0, 18e), before the whole pack of forwards pushes behind the 2e Yassine Maamry line to send him to trial (10-0, 23e). Deliverance for an entire stadium, a fair reward for a team that is really in the game and well applied, what's more.
An end to the Mons match
She just lacked vigilance by conceding two faults before the break, one of which was punished by the boot of Du Plessis (10-3, 36e). But, as if to warn that there would not be much to take during this disputed evening in the humid coldness of the Drôme, Joris Moura came to conclude a superb action initiated by his center Mathieu Guillomot who had just ''cross'' for the third time, already (17-3, 40e). A matador action from ultra-realistic Checkers who still gave themselves a Nice scare at the end of the match.
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Because the Stade Montois came back to 8 points, almost within gunshot, at the end of an interminable sequence under the posts of the VRDR who thought they had done the hardest part by scrapping for 6 minutes but which was done first take on the outside (23-13, 67e), before seeing Mons winger Lagivala further reduce the score (28-20, 77e). Enough to leave some regrets, since the third attempt of Damiers planted by Rozière (71e) could in an ideal world have been synonymous with an offensive bonus. But the energy displayed by the visitors at the very end of the match ended up earning them a point. Fortunately, for the Checkers, the match did not last 5 minutes longer…
Reactions
Dorian Marco-Pena (VRDR hooker): “We were serious from start to finish, and consistent in touch and scrum. Tonight the conquest, the scrum, everyone did the job. We were serious, diligent, we countered them well, we are very proud this evening. We have a group of character, who like to play together, sometimes things get a little stuck but when we are serious like that nothing can happen to us. We are 7 points ahead of the red lantern (Nice, editor's note) before the last match in Aix, which gives confidence to the group and that is pleasing. »
Fabien Fortassin (VRDR manager): “These 4 points do a lot of good. I told the players that in increasingly demanding and complicated rugby, knowing how to be serious is a big strength. Tonight (Friday), that’s the word that best sums up our match. We controlled things well, we had intensity, we were efficient and we respected what was planned. I wish I could use the word serious more often, because in other matches we would have taken more points. We wanted to intelligently abuse the pressure game, it was done quite well. The gap with the last in the ranking allows us to breathe a little, yes, but it is far from over. »
Stéphane Prosper (coach of Mont-de-Marsan): “At half-time we would have signed for the bonus, it's good that we took it at the end of the match, it rewards our match overall and it's a source of satisfaction. But we failed on the fundamentals. In these climatic conditions, you have to be clean and simple. We didn't have the foundations to compete against a very well organized team. »
Ioane Iashagashvili (3e Mont-de-Marsan line): “I'm a little disappointed, it's complicated to lose even if it's against friends. It was a bit special, it never happened to me to play against one of my old teams, so there was a bit of emotion. We were not efficient in our outings in the first half. Playing Pompidou is never easy. »
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