American football: for the Centurions of Nîmes, the play-offs above all

Les Nîmois ont entamé idéalement leur saison en allant gagner à Montpellier.

Saturday February 17, at 7 p.m., the Centurions de Nîmes host the Gones de Lyon as part of the 2nd day of Division 3. Conference semi-finalists in 2023, the Gardois aspire to return to the final phase this year.

Started in February and concluded in June, the American football season moves at high speed. Suffice to say that it is better not to miss it from the start. For two years, the Centurions of Nîmes have gotten into the good habit of stretching out the fun until the dawn of summer, in the Division 3 play-off. Conference finalists in 2022 , Jean-Philippe Eldin's protégés were semi-finalists in 2023, beaten on the gong in Strasbourg (27-21).

''Don't go to Strasbourg a third time…"

''The ambition is to finish 1st in pool 1 (Conference B) and go to the play-off (1st in each of the four pools of each Conference), notes l’ coach…player. One thing I would like is to definitely not go to Strasbourg a third time (qualification in the semi-finals in 2022, 35-20).'' To start their season, two weeks ago, the Centurions went to the derby in Montpellier, against the Hurricanes (17-14). ''It was a great victory against a great team, continues Eldin. All these direct confrontations (7 days in total), in the same group, it’s important to win them.''

Facing the unknown Lyon

After the derby, it's time for something new against the Gones de Lyon. ''Lyon (pool 2, with Valence and Annecy), it's a team that we don't know, points out Bernard's son. When it’s like that, it takes a short time to gauge the forces involved. This is the kind of team that you tend to encounter in the play-offs. Lyon lost against Valencia and is already a little in the red.''
In the green, Nîmes intends to stay there. ''All these matches, it will be important to win them well, even if it's not 40-0, and take as many points as possible to hope to qualify for the play-off, note Eldin. Afterwards, if we have to move, we will…''

Centurions de Nîmes (2nd group 2, 3 points) – Gones de Lyon (2nd group 2, 1 point), Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Nicolas Kaufmann stadium.
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