After 4 defeats in as many days of the championship, the MHR women are up against the wall when it comes time to host Lille Villeneuve d’Asq this Sunday, November 17 at the Stade Sabathé. Their opponents of the day, they already have a victory on the clock and could well see themselves putting the heads of their historic rivals under water.
In this tense context, it is the Cistes who are making the best start. After a quick touch on the reception of the kick-off, they began the match with a bang with a sequence of more than 2 minutes which already undermined the northern defense. At the 5e minute, the Montpellier scrum pushes its Lille counterpart and recovers a penalty slightly to the right within 22m, which transforms
Anna Macipe (3-0 in the 6th minute).
As soon as play resumed, international winger Caroline Boujard, although in difficulty receiving the kick-off, broke through along her line, well relayed by the young Anna De Almeida, starting at the scrum.
Under pressure, the visitors are unable to leave their camp cleanly. Following a direct touch, the blues recover a throw within 30m. The throw into touch is impeccable and allows ¾ to initiate a combination. The opener Emma Coudert takes advantage of the disorder created by an approximation of a pass in the center to recover the ball and shift Caroline Boujard who escapes her opposite to plant the first try (transformed by Anna Macipe, 10-0 at the 10e mintute).
Despite this small advance, the MHR does not relax its grip. From the kick-off, second line Flora Micoud pierces the Lille defense. The standing relays once again allow Caroline Boujard to be displaced, who finds Anna Macipe. Then it was the turn of hooker Maëlle Huiban to create a breach in the white line. The Montpellier girls get a touch 5m from the Lille line but their maul crosses the line without managing to flatten the ball.
The blue ones show great desire and camp in the white camp. After the injury to Carline Boujard (replaced by Marine Beranger), it is the other winger Lilou Cozar who recovers a still approximate clearance from LMRCV and escapes all the defenders to flatten between the posts (try transformed by Anna Macipe, 17- 0 in the 24th minute).
After 25 minutes of very high level, the first grains of sand appear in the Montpellier organization (missed touch and tackle). This allows visitors to make their first foray into the Cist camp. But the alert does not last and Cyril Bouladou’s players emerge thanks to an effective and surgical standing game. After several periods of play, Marine Ménager found a gap in the center thanks to a nice cut race close to a group. She sails through the defense before being caught 10m from the line. But in the fall, she managed to lift the ball to Anna De Almeida who scored between the posts. (24-0 in the 32nd minute)
On receiving the kick-off, the Blues narrowly missed their clearance into touch. Despite Lilou Cozar’s stamp when the ball fell, the Lille attack managed to bring the ball back to the center of the field. The little kick over the center surprises the MHR girls who find themselves chasing the Lille receiver and end up conceding a try a few minutes later (24-5 in the 36th minute).e minute).
Following the yellow card inflicted on youngster 3e wing line Agathe Ducret and the serious injury of Anna De Almeida, Montpellier are not far from conceding a second try just before half-time but a forward prevents Lille from realizing their touch at 5m. (24-5, half-time score)
The shadow of the failed second halves over the last two matches weighs on Montpellier’s resumption of play. The first 10 minutes of 2e act are clearly to the advantage of the visitors. It is now they who continue the playing times and score a second consecutive try, this time converted (24-12 in the 49th minute).
At 54e minute, Rkya Ait Lahbib receives a yellow card and concedes a penalty within 22m to the right of the posts, fortunately missed by the northern striker.
Finally, a penalty recovered in defense in their 22m allowed Montpellier to ward off the curse. Incoming scrum half Flavie Gros decides to play quickly. She finds Emma Coudert who clears the space at the foot of the space. Under pressure from Marine Ménager in the fall, the Whites are unable to secure the ball and it is Lilou Cozar who goes for the try again (unconverted, 29-12 in the 59th minute).e minute).
The blue surges on the white defense no longer stop. Rose Bernadou at the breach, Agathe Ducret at the relay, it takes a mix-up on the last pass between Marine Béranger and Marine Ménager to push back the deadline. But the Cistes obtain a scrum at 5m which allows Marine Ménager to score in the corner (try transformed by Anna Macipe, 34-12 in the 64the minute).
On a lofted throw from the Lille hooker, it is again the international pillar Rose Bernadou who recovers at the back of the key. She transmits to Flavie Gros who manages to make the connection with the mixed line in place across the width. The second line Capucine Pardies plays the shot perfectly to bring the ball to life. The ¾ finally shift the back Lottie Dadds, then the inevitable Lilou Cozar who plants her 3rd personal try in the corner (transformed by Anna Macipe, 41-12 in the 69the minute).
The last 10 minutes yielded nothing more and the match ended with an unchanged score (41-12, final score).
With this improved victory, Armand Mardon’s players have fulfilled half of the objective he had set for them. They must now continue their momentum in Rennes to bring home a second victory before taking a week of rest which would be well deserved.
