Handball: Usam Nîmes, enough jokes…

Luc Tobie and the Gardois still remain in the race for the top 5 at the end of the season. FREE NOON – ALEXIS BETHUNE

After thirteen days of interruption, the Gardois, who remain with two serious failures, will return to the competition and Parnasse, Saturday March 23 (8 p.m.), on the occasion of the 21st day of Starligue and the reception of Saint-Raphaël. With the hope of returning to success.

After two defeats including the score difference – 16-27 against MHB and 28-38 in Toulouse – was able to question, the Usam Nîmes players had plenty of time, during the international break, to ask themselves the right questions.

''This truce has done some good but it remains complicated, period, to lose matches, confesses Gard right-back Luc Tobie. Well, there were big differences there. We would have liked to have a few days of break after a victory or a draw, but that’s how it is. The season is quite complicated, it's been a long time since Usam had experienced this. It’s part of the cycle of a club, the cycle of a season.''

A balance sheet barely in balance

Eighth with 20 ​​points and a balanced record (ten wins for ten defeats), Usam seems today’also far in the game& ;nbsp;only close, mathematically, to the top 5 and to her future opponent, Saint-Raphaël (5th with 23 points), whom she will host on Saturday March 23.

''Considering where we're starting from, we can't say that Saint-Raphaël is the last chance match, notes the Guyanese. We already did it in the first part of the season when we also had injuries. This allowed us to get back on track. If it could be the same match…'' Reminder: Nîmes won 33-31 in Var (11th day) after five consecutive defeats.

''Win the most matches and finish as high ranked as possible''

This season, however, the SRVHB seems firmly established in the top 5. ''When we talk about cycle, Saint-Raphaël is finding good chemistry, note Tobie, 35 years old and locker room manager (8th season at the club, contract until 2025). We already hope that we will finish this season better.''

Yet we feel the Nîmes on a thread. Which side will they switch to ? ''Some people have demands, including you, the press, underlines the former Aix resident. We are the first to be disappointed not to have the results we need. So, maybe we won't be able to achieve our goals (5th) at the start of the season, but we will try to do everything to win as many matches as possible and finish as high ranked as possible. ;#39;'

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