To start the year 2025, the Racing Club Narbonnais faces one of the big names in the National, Albi this Saturday evening (7 p.m.). Above all, on the occasion of this meeting, the Audois will return to their Parc des Sports, where they have been undefeated for almost two years, almost two months after their last home match.
56. Like the number of days since the Racing Club Narbonnais has not played a match on the pitch of the Parc des Sports et de l’Amitié. It was last November 16 against Bourg-en-Bresse (29-26 victory). In a season, that’s an eternity. Almost two months without playing at home. So, at the start of 2025, what could be better than finding their lair. Especially since the orange and black have not lost in the regular phase of the championship since March 11, 2023. That is 672 days of invincibility at home. It was at the time against Chambéry (17-24), and captain Paul Belzons, as well as scrum half Pierrick Nova and winger Pierre-Hugo Ducom were already starting. Since then the team has changed a lot, but in Narbonne, the results remain the same. Victory always fell on the right side.
There is a little fear about this resumption match.
“It’s a mission that we have set for ourselves. We have seven receptions in this return phase, we are keen to remain invincible at home. Obviously, that would give us a glimpse of great things. It’s important for the club, the team and the supporters have been giving satisfaction at home for almost two years, so it must not stop. Everyone is looking forward to returning to the Park, reconnecting with our public and playing again in our environment.says Narbonne manager Julien Seron. Especially since the dynamics are brilliant on the Racing side. The Audois remain on four consecutive victories, the reception of Bourg-en-Bresse (29-26), and the infernal triptych of December succeeds with flying colors in Carcassonne (15-18), in Langon (14-20) and to finish in Suresnes (19-20). Narbonne thus climbed onto the second match of the podium.
But watch out for this first match of the year. He’s still a trap. Never easy to negotiate. Julien Seron warned his players: “Resumption matches are always a little complicated to understand. The players have had three weeks of vacation, so there is a little fear. The month of December was to our advantage. The idea is to capitalize on the latest results “. The left pillar Grégory Fichten thinks that “it is also a way of proving what beauty we have shown on the outside.” The task, however, will be far from being a long, quiet river lasting 80 minutes. Albi is used to this National championship, accustomed each year to battling among the best teams for the final stages and to posing great problems to all his competitors.
A six-forward substitutes bench
If the Tarnais concluded the year 2024 with a home defeat against Carcassonne (29-31), Mathieu Bonello’s men will logically have long teeth and a sharp knife when coming to Narbonne. “There hasn’t been an easy match since the start of the year, and we haven’t made it easy either. So whoever the opponent is, we expect a difficult match. Albi is a team with great strengths in conquest, quite tough on collisions, in combat. We know the values of this formation.”recognizes Julien Seron. To counter this density and this Tarn harshness, the Racing staff decided to start on a substitutes bench with six forwards and only two three-quarters. A rare choice for the Narbonnais, more accustomed to making a 5-3. But the manager takes responsibility: “It’s always a risk, but I like to take it.”
At the end of these first 80 minutes of the year 2025, the verdict on the success – or not – of this choice will be given. In the meantime, Racing will return to its home for this Albi reception. If this team is not leader of the championship, it must reign supreme on its home field. Like for about two years.
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