Albi – Bourgoin-Jallieu, Saturday (6:30 p.m.): the CSBJ “without objective”
There are already airs of summer break at CSBJ rugby. After beating Blagnac with the offensive bonus at Rajon last Sunday, the Sky and Garnet (8th, 55 points), assured of their maintenance in National next season, move to Albi this Saturday (6:30 p.m.).
Facing the 3rd in the standings (82 points), only one point behind the 2nd VRDR, they will evolve without pressure and even “without any particular objective”, as their manager Sébastien Tillous-Borde says.
No less than seven players are missing compared to the strong forces of recent weeks. The third center line Laki Lee is suspended after receiving his third yellow card in a few weeks and the list of injured is as long as the arm: Gaborit (biceps), Phalip (knee), Chaudouard (knee), Sidobre (knee), Hutteau (disease), Tofa (finger).
The staff gives or gives a chance to young people, like the Espoirs pillars Louan Capuano and Maxime Calliet, but also the scrum half Adrien Pontarollo and the 3rd line Mattéo Broeders. The 3rd line Thomas Tarrit reappears in the group for the first time since the trip to Soyaux-Angoulême on December 17.
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The likely XV:
Cachet – Foliaki, C. Bosch, B. Colliat, Lefort – (o) Sola, (m) Pontarollo – Rabatel, Luafutu, K. Rivoire – Nonkontwana, L. Cotte (cap.) – Simutoga, Khribache, A. Devisme.
Replacements: Capuano, Tripier, Calliet, Jack, Broeders, Tarrit, R. Bouet, Noble.
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Valence-Romans – Dijon, this Saturday (7 p.m.)
“Winning would allow us to have our destiny in our hands”, launches Johann Authier, general manager of the VRDR. Defeated by one point last weekend on the lawn of Tarbes (24-23), the Damiers want to catch up this Saturday against Dijon, the red lantern of the championship.
Defeated in the first leg, it is with a spirit of revenge that the Drômois will play this match of the 25th day, relying on a strong impact and physical commitment, a quality which had been lacking against Tarbes. “We will use this match as a reminder to confirm our good momentum,” explains the VRDR tactician.
Through a meeting that promises to be committed, the objective is clear, to keep this second place before the start of the final stages, in order to approach the rest with certainty and confidence. But the task will be delicate, facing the Dijonnais currently at the foot of the wall (last with 39 points), playing their last chance in the fight for maintenance.
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Aubenas-Vals – Soyaux-Angoulême, this Sunday (3 p.m.)
The 24th day played last weekend was “all good” for the RCAV.
The defeat of Dijon (without defensive bonus) against Suresnes on Saturday (34-20) was well received in Ardèche. The victory then of the Ardéchois in Cognac (25-19) allows them to leave the place of relegation and to hope thus to remain in National. A very beneficial weekend for Cyrille Andreu’s teammates, but nothing is certain.
In this completely crazy championship, nothing says that Dijon and Cognac will not succeed in Valencia and Dax… Only a positive result against Soyaux would allow the Ardéchois to foresee the maintenance. The problem is that the men of Etcheto, after their improved victory against Albi (30-9), combined with the defeat of the VRDR in Tarbes (24-23), can once again believe in their chance for 2nd place. In other words, the stakes are enormous for both teams and the atmosphere promises to be hot. It is clear that the “yellow and blue” people will have an important role to play and will be there to push their team towards victory.
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Starting XV:
Andreu (cap) – Clément, Barnier, Verot, Fournier – (o) Chastaing, (m) Lacroix – Guetat, Naikadawa, Jarmouni – Fulachier, Gendre – Balas-Burel, Sauzaret, Guarese.
Replacements: Arnaud, Gontard, Cama, Mondoulet, Benoist, Porcher, Ramette, Blady.
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Chambéry – Nice, this Sunday (3 p.m.)
After their narrow defeat with the defensive bonus point at the leader Massy last week, the Chambériens have mathematically acquired their qualification for a play-off match in the National finals on May 14 or 15.
Sixth currently (68 points), doubled by Nice (69 points), the partners of Andras Bardos have a magnificent opportunity to regain 5th place by welcoming the Azureans during this penultimate day of the regular season this Sunday at the Mager stadium. . Beaten in the first leg (25-13), the men of the Villain-Brugnaut-Mélé trio have already validated their ambitious goal for the start of the season which was a Top 6, but they have the opportunity to do even better. . They will then only have one trip to Cognac, to the red lantern demobilized on May 8. “Nice is a team that will be very dangerous for the final stages and it is teams of this level that we will play in the quarter-finals. This match comes at the right time to calibrate against a big chicken and also get this fifth place, ”said the sports manager of the SOC.
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The Chambéry group:
Poo, Sauzaret; Primault, Brute de Rémur; Jordan, Dominguez; Gascou, Bardos, Guyot; Polutele, Dance, Coignat, Cèbe (forwards), Phillips, Deschaux, (m), Cilliers, Moreno (o), Gauci, Neiceru, Mjekevu, Velten, Mawalu, Moinot.
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