In the semi-final of the French Regional 1 championship, this Sunday (3 p.m.) near Privas, in Ardèche, Corbières XV faces Annecy-Le-Vieux. For the people of Audois, this is a great opportunity to end a radiant spring and see the first days of summer next weekend…
How do you recognize a successful team? Just look at Corbières XV which has not lost a match for 20 months now. “It’s incredible, incredible, frankly it’s incredible”, repeats the manager, Thomas Clavières, who does not seem to believe it when we mention the statistics. Corbières XV has indeed become the hit of the spring, accustomed as it is now to the games in June.
It was written at the start of the season. This is confirmed, unsurprisingly, the Corbières XV of presidents Henry Marty and Clément Estériola is impressive. The team that puts an end to its hellish pace will achieve a huge feat. Can Annecy-Le-Vieux, Corbières’ opponent in the semi-final, this Sunday on the Ardèche side, in Privas, accomplish those that the others have not managed to do? To have.
The players from Haute-Savoie had all the difficulty in the world to defeat St-Saturnin-les-Avignon in the quarter-final. A narrow victory, 16 to 15, which undoubtedly had the consequence of making the players lose a little energy and juice. Their qualification for the last four, the opponent of Corbières This demonstrates the physical and mental qualities of this team. That turns out well. Corbières XV also has qualities. And they almost no longer need to be demonstrated.
Still deprived of Le Piver
At Rieumes last weekend, under a light but persistent rain, Sébastien Régy’s players took the time to adapt. They took a quarter of an hour before taking stock of the debates. Maubourguet then paid the price for the Aude armada which, when it puts speed into its game, advances, crushes and scores. Match after match, it’s a certainty, it also gains in serenity: “This is also our impressionexplains Thomas Clavieres. Moreover, when Julien Candelon, who is the main actor in the film dedicated to Cédric (Rosalen), came to film in St-André, he told me that he was impressed by the serenity exuded by the players. In their looks, you see that they are not afraid of anything.” A serenity, he confides, which is also that of the staff: “We are big competitors, we don’t like to lose and we are never annoyed, you can also feel it on the pitch.” So, this Annecy team? “It looks like Maubourguet. They are not monstrous physically but they play a lot. We will have to put in a big match if we want to play a final.”
Corbières XV will always be deprived of its 3rd row Emeric Le Piver (suspended, who will return to the final, if there is a final). In his place, player-coach Sébastien Régy joins the substitutes’ bench.
In the event of a victory, the Audois will fall next Sunday against the winner of the other semi-final which pits RC Cadaujacais against CO Bagneux Rugby. But everything in its time, because Corbières XV knows this well. Annecy-Le-Vieux will do everything to ensure that it does not arrive in the first days of summer.
