A logical defeat for the leader

Imprecise on their throws, the Nîmes lost ammunition in touch. photo archives mikaël anisset

National 2/13th day. Nîmes was too approximate to be able to worry the Stade Métropolitain.

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Rillieux-la-pape, Hanging Wolf stadium.

Half-time: 12-7.

Referee: M. Marceau.

For the Metropolitan Stadium:3 tries, Phayavong (43rd), Jeannet (64th), Kotze (80th); 2 conversions, Petelat (43rd, 80th); 5 penalties, Petelat (12th, 17th, 27th, 40th, 42nd).

For Nîmes: 2 tests, Félix (1st), Sparano (74th); 2 transformations, Gensana; 1 penalty, Gensana (48th).

The clash at the top between the leader and his runner-up, Sunday afternoon, was won by the Stade Métropolitain who inflicted their fifth defeat in Nîmes. From Nîmes who, this year, did not create a surprise, they who had largely won during their last visit to the Loup Pendu stadium (16-42).

Aguilar's men quickly set the tone. With this ball recovered in midfield by center Totovosau who saw, two passes later, fullback Félix open the scoring (0-7, 1st).

Picked cold, the Stade Métropolitain tried to set the pace with a very central game. He achieved some good sequences which allowed them to come back to the score after two penalties from Petelat (6-7, 17th).

The debates were then balanced, the two teams surrendering blow after blow and the battle of the rucks in full swing with defenses at full throttle. The score hardly changed, therefore, except for the foot of the Rhone opener who, at the half-hour mark, gave his team the advantage for the first time (9-7, 27th) .

In this first act, the RCN came up against an airtight defensive wall which made it fall back, losing balloons on impact. So much ammunition which benefited their opponents, Petelat scoring a new penalty before half-time (12-7, 40th).

Too many mistakes made

As soon as the restart, a new fault offered three more points to the Rhodaniens (15-7, 42nd), pragmatic and opportunistic, it was obvious, like this blocked ball which sent the third line Valentin Phayavong to the test (22-7, 43rd).

Ten points conceded in less than three minutes, the mass was said ? We could think so, especially that the RCN scrum half, Benjamin Gensana, did not seem successful, with this penalty, slightly facing the posts, missed.

The Nîmes forwards tried to sound the rebellion with penetrating groups to tighten the defense and try to find the breach. In vain. It was even the Rhone residents who, after yet another Nîmes advance, returned to the RCN camp and scored a second try, signed from the back Jeannet (27-10, 64th). Sparano's try changed nothing (27-17, 74th). Especially since the Stade Métropolitain went behind the line one last time (34-17, 80th) and won a logical victory.

"We answered on engagement. Unfortunately, we lacked realism throughout the match to be able to win,” reacted Nîmes captain Benjamin Barnerias. President Steeve Calligaro, for his part, pointed out "imprecision in touch, a scrum penalized too much and too many advances which are costly".