Missed points at the foot, fatal yellow card, inefficiency… The key moments which cost MHR the victory against Usap

Louis Carbonel missed three penalties in the first period, including two in an easy position. Midi Libre – JEAN MICHEL MART

The Montpellier team missed several opportunities to make the break in the first half against Perpignan. In the second half, indiscipline was costly (10 penalties) against a Catalan machine which got going. In the end, the MHR lost at home (20-25) for the fifth time this season.

Every action counts. "We are down to the gram", MHR manager Patrice Collazo often repeats. In an emergency situation like that of Montpellier, the slightest missed pass, the slightest missed foot play, inevitably comes back to you in the face. Against Usap this Saturday, Janse Van Rensburg's teammates failed too many times to hope for a positive result. Focus on these key moments which cost the Cists victory.

4th, 25th and 38th: 9 points left on the way

Louis Carbonel has gotten into the habit of wearing the MHR in recent months. By hand or foot, the opener is afloat this season. But this Saturday, the former Toulonnais sank in the face of the Catalan storm. A missed penalty (5th) and 3 stolen penalties. The first (4th), difficult, facing the wind, 45m slightly to the left, fled the posts. Same for the next two (25th and 38th), in favorable positions at 25m.

40e : the MHR fails to make the break

At the end of the first period, the Montpellier residents were on a high. Dominant in melee and touch, they crush the blood and gold pack. Thanks to a good job from his forwards, Gabriel Ngandebe sneaks through the Catalan defense but is turned into the goal. The following action, the Hérault melee smashed its opponent at 5m. Instead of keeping the ball warm and waiting for a penalty, Cobus Reinach widens. Jan Serfontein then Louis Carbonel attempted the feat alone. In vain. Carbonel loses the ball and the Montpellier team comes in at 10-5 at the break.

#Rugby 🏉 Comme prévu, les Catalans n’ont pas fait le voyage à vide #MHRUSAP pic.twitter.com/EXF8G3UA42

— Midi Libre Sports (@MidiLibreSports) April 27, 2024

49e: Chalureau’s yellow card

In front of the score (17-5) and still superior in most sectors of play, the MHR finds itself at 14. Bastien Chalureau high tackles Ignacio Ruiz (49th). Yellow card, not far from the red. Without its number 5, the beam of its pack, Montpellier concedes ten points. Florian Veraheghe was also sent off ten minutes (59th), allowing the Catalans to definitively gain the upper hand against the Spanish forwards who were losing momentum. In this slow time, Patrice Collazo's men were penalized 8 times (15 penalties in total) in 18 minutes.

For their part, Usap, during its numerical inferiority, did not concede any points. And even scored a try (34th).

64e-75e: the first line replacing the torture

After the defeat against Ulster (17-40) three weeks ago, Patrice Collazo regretted the lack of bite in the first replacement lines. Against Usap, history repeated itself. Hooker Vano Karkadze and right prop Lasha Macarashvili were missed. A missed touch 5m from the Catalan goal (67th) for the first, a broken arm (71st) and a penalty (75th) against the second. The staff even took them out before the final whistle. As a result, the Montpellier scrum recovered a final penalty (80th). In vain.

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