Nîmes: dam at home validated

Les Nîmois ont réussi à l‘emporter à Aubenas grâce notamment à une grosse défense. photo armand veron

Nationale 2/22e journée. Vainqueur à l’extérieur, le RCN a gagné le droit de recevoir Anglet dans six jours à Kaufmann.

aubenas vals11

nîmes24

Ucel, Georges-Marquand stadium.

Half-time: 8- 14.

Referee: M. Guatelli.

For Aubenas Vals: 1 try Gvaladze (36th); 2 Debladis penalties (20th, 44th).

For Nîmes: 2 tries Roche (13th), Felix (80th); 1 Sabbia transformation (80th); 4 Chastaing penalties (5th, 24th, 40th, 48th).

Yellow card to Aubenas Vals: Vasseur (49th).

Yellow card in Nîmes: Totovosau (31st).

Score evolution: 0-3, 0-8, 3-8, 3-11, 8-11, 8- 14, 11-14, 11-17, 11-24.

Victory was imperative, the RCN clinched it on Sunday on the Aubenas Vals field, thus ensuring that they played their play-off at home. The dream of securing one of the first two places (a rank occupied only once this season by the Nîmes), did not come true.

This match, the Nîmes started it head on, by investing the Ardèche camp and, above all, by making their opponents guilty. The penalty obtained was converted by fly half Pierre Chastaing (0-3). Strong in defense, Guillaume Aguilar's men forced former Nîmes Vincent Debladis into a hazardous effort, recovered by full-back Martin Félix who crossed the field before sending center Thomas Roche to the test (0-8).

With their hands on the ball, the Aubenas players faced a very dense Nîmes defensive curtain, and it was only the foot of their opener Vincent Debladis which allowed them to open their counter (3-8). Reduced to fourteen after Save Totovosau's yellow card, the Nîmes immediately conceded a try following a penetrating group from the Aubenas pack (8-11). But, a final penalty from Chastaing allowed the RCN to return to the locker room with a slight advantage of six points (8-14).

Nîmes knew how to keep its back

The start of the second half came down to a mano a mano between the two openers, the Nîmes Chastaing responding to the Albenassien Debladis. Above all, the stakes seemed to take precedence over the game, with hand faults and indiscipline on both sides, and sometimes outdated refereeing.

"It was the ultimate away match, explained Guillaume Aguilar at the final whistle, but we knew how to do it the round back". This was the case for long minutes at the end of the match, the Nîmes defending their line before Félix recovered the ball in his 22 meters and darted under the poles to secure the Gard victory. "We were able to bounce back, notably thanks to our strong defense", appreciated the third line Paul Kelly.

The rest, for the Nîmes, it will be a play-off match next Sunday at Kaufmann against Anglet, an opponent on which the Nîmes coach has (for the moment) no information but he already warns: "We know the values ​​of the Basques, their ability to never give up…"