Rugby Union: RC Nîmes, who were aiming for the top 4, received a good thrashing in Rumilly

Sparano et les Nîmois ont été bousculés en conquête, dominés dans le jeu et dépassés en défense. Archives Midi Libre – Mikaël Anisset

For the 17th day of National 2, the Nîmes team, Sunday in Rumilly, missed their match and learned a good lesson.

One observation totally sums up the essence of the duel, Sunday February 2, between a Rumilly team launched into the race for survival and Nîmes in search of qualification: who dares wins.

And it is the team with the most to lose who, without restraint, launched into this offensive and game option highlighted by the achievement of seven tries and rewarded by a bonus victory.

The 17th day and the ranking of group 1 of National 2

Divergence in the way of conducting the match

The divergence of choices appeared very quickly. While Nîmes relied on the efficiency of its scorer, Samuel Roche, to open the scoring with a first penalty and then add another one attempted beyond the halfway line, Rumilly left no doubt about his intentions.

Served by an effective conquest, the Rumilliens did not hold back from multiplying the launches and livening up the game with, very quickly, a first reward in the form of a try pointed under the Gard posts by Guigue.

The technical sheet

Rumilly – Nîmes : 47-14.
Stade des Grangettes.
Half-time : 14-9.
Referee : Mrs. Leboeuf.
For Rumilly: 7 tries, Guigue (12th), Pecheux (37th), Buge (45th), Giordanengo (50th), Guillimin (61st, 71st); 6 conversions Guigue (12th, 37th, 45th, 50th, 71st), Houdiarne (77th).
Yellow cards: Nouri (40th), Giordanengo (79th).
For Nîmes: 1 try Marra (80th); 3 penalties S. Roche (8th, 20th, 38th).
Yellow cards: Bouare (40th), Pouyleau (60th), Kelly (78th).

Everything changed in a few minutes

Everything changed in a few minutes. Just before the break, Pecheux, by breaking through the Gard defence in the middle of the field to, in turn, slip under the posts, brought his camp that little extra confidence that it still lacked.

Despite the response provided by a new penalty from Roche, the match had just changed. And this was confirmed very quickly with the achievement, at the restart, of the third try for Rumilly, this one pointed in force.

Everything goes for Rumilly

With the bonus in their pocket, the Rumilliens were not satisfied with it. Four more tries were to follow, with doubles on the same wing from Guillimin and Giordanengo, in a one-sided second half during which everything went their way, the most daring choices as well as the most improbable rebounds.

With, as a bonus, the success of the scorers (6 conversions out of seven), the score continued to swell in proportions that perhaps do not reflect the realities of the standings but perfectly illustrate those of a match that was clearly not approached with the same intentions by the two teams.

Pichard: “Nothing worked”

Rémy Pichard (Nîmes winger) : “This defeat highlights our lack of consistency. We are capable of doing good things at home, and of being pushed around away. Nothing worked, we got caught up in the intensity and in the game without finding solutions.”