ASBH-Brive: Béziers dreams big against Brive for the first play-off match in its history at home in Pro D2

On February 29, Béziers won (34-15) against Brive at the Raoul-Barrière stadium. Again this Friday evening ? Midi Libre – SYLVIE CAMBON

Pro D2/Play-off play-off. For the first time in its history in Pro D2, ASBH with its prestigious past will play a playoff match at home against Brive. And that can change everything, turn everything upside down.

Quite a marathon for that. Thirty matches crossed at the speed of a brilliant meteorite to arrive at the most envied of the folding seats: a qualification for the play-offs, the ultimate thrill of a collective ambition having resurrected the ;hope of a rise to the Top 14 and the passion of the supporter. Béziers cried and bled a lot before reaching this high-flying play-off against Brive, this Friday evening in an incandescent Raoul-Barrière stadium, where nearly 16,000 supporters hope to continue the adventure, Friday May 31 in Vannes, host of the semi-final.

"Writing our story"

This expected tidal wave rewards ASBH's third place in the regular season, its best ranking in seventeen seasons of Pro D2 since the inevitability of a descent in 2005 (the club played in Federal 1 in 2009-10 and 2010-11). A generation has passed but, in its leniency, destiny offered it a duel with the scent of yesteryear, a link between nostalgic fiber and promise for the future. To be and to have been, Béziers knows. But being and regaining one's greatness is an ongoing experience that Pierre Caillet's men do not want to spoil.

"We want to write our story", never stopped hammering the “red and blue” manager, as if to better engage his project in a daring, spectacular and effective game (third best attack in Pro D2), which would recall the two Brennus Shields won behind the Brivistes in 1972 and 1975. Co-president Jean -Michel Vidal is right to assert that his team is "capable of anyone", despite a serious downside : the other five qualified can say the same, proof of competitiveness extreme between big names.

Also read: ASBH: Clément Ancely, Samuel Marques and Gabin Lorre, a trio who carried Béziers this season

Also read: ASBH-Brive: "The players are wound up like clocks", the president of Béziers Jean-Michel Vidal announces the color before the play-off against Brive

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Sullen dynamics

If the decorum of the jump-off is adorned with ornaments, the dynamics of the ASBH displays less color in view of its last third of the championship affected by great physical weariness and three setbacks during the last four days. The injury withdrawals of serial scorer Raffaele Storti (21 tries, record in Pro D2) and No. 8 Sias Koen don't help matters. Conversely, Brive can boast of having won its qualification. thanks to a small miracle and has greater experience. But in the same way that the last ASBH-CAB (34-15) to date no longer counts, the Biterrois are not mistaken in their objective& nbsp;: any result other than a success would be experienced with a taste of unfinished business.

Supporting passion

It’s not every year that the Hérault club is at such a party. Eliminated in the play-off in 2006, 2007 and 2018, each time outside, he will therefore experience a great first "a l’oustal". The noise , fury, a shared communion, that's all that President Vidal imagines, a reminiscence of the past. "Everyone says that Perpignan has the best audience in France but I told the players that in Béziers, it had nothing to do. You will really realize who the biggest audience in France is. For me, in all honesty, I would say that there is Toulon and us, then Perpignan behind."

The flame is rekindled

The  fight in the stands has begun, a receptacle of all passions. Eleven times champion of France, the last time in 1984, Béziers boldly turned the lights back on. For now, Brive is still just an obstacle, a step towards the heights of French rugby that ASBH has long made shine. Does she have the marrow to see the adventure through to the end? Let’s accept the omen.