MHR-Usap: the GGL stadium war took place, the Catalans emerged victorious from a fierce and merciless derby for Montpellier

Jan Serfontein et le MHR ont laissé trop de points en route pour espérer l'emporter.

Après un combat âpre et tendu, Montpellier s'est logiquement incliné devant Peprignan (20-25), dans une ambiance de corrida.   

The GGL Stadium war took place. Fierce and merciless. And at the very end, a muffled and powerful clamor rose from the stands of the GGL Stadium, the epilogue to a rocky and competitive derby. This cry of victory erupted by the Catalan public, which echoed the fervor of the pre-match – between monster traffic jams and a backfiring procession of blood and gold supporters arriving by the thousands –, carried within him a rage to exist and assert the truth on the ground.

The evidence even pointed to the fact that Usap did indeed play a "fourteenth" home match this season. "Le Ciste resists everything", however, proudly displayed a banner in the Murrayfield stand. But that was not enough to counter the furia "Blood and Gold", despite a lead at the break (10-5).

Inefficiency and indiscipline

After a week of high tension, Montpellier ended up laying down its arms (20-25). He did not withstand the shock over the distance and faded over the course of the match, like his scrum, which was often punished. And if he hoped to sweep away folklore and Usapist ambitions in the same momentum, he could not win Saturday evening with so much ineffectiveness in the first half (9 points left on the road and two chances of tries collected in stoppage time) and indiscipline in the second (two yellow cards and more than ten penalties conceded).

A hard scenario to swallow, despite a big heart, which roots the Cistes in 13th place in the ranking, without ruining all their ambitions to maintain. Patrice Collazo's men still have their destiny in hand, despite this fifth defeat at home, the fourth in a row. "We went to the end of ourselves- same, Usap deserves its victory but we were not abandoned", recognized the manager of the MHR in the face of Catalan dynamism. Small consolation.

Dionysian atmosphere

In a Dionysian and cathartic atmosphere in view of the usual tranquility of the place, the formidable Catalan public, absolutely without equivalent this season in French rugby and which does so much to promote its sport, literally ignited the decorum, offering on this windy afternoon there was an air of final phases.  Opposite, the Cistes suffered from the comparison in the stands but also on the pitch.

Although mentally up to the occasion, they were unable to go further than Bridge's magnificent try at the restart, which then gave them twelve points to go ; advance (17-5, 45th). Time for Usap to get their hands on the ball and write their beautiful story until victory thanks to two tries from Ruiz (50th) and Sobela (62nd).

Four matches to get back up

Montpellier defended like a pack of dogs but he could only bow to the serenity of the Usap, patient and clinical, who can do more than never dream of the final stages.

The big gap between the two teams widened even further on Saturday evening, freezing the ambitions of both sides. Clearly, they no longer play the same championship. Perpignan now nurtures a European future. As for Montpellier, it has four matches left to force its destiny. Or get used to the idea that "the’access-match" is no longer necessarily a taboo word.