the essentials Heroic winners against CA Brive, the Montalbanais attack another Pro D2 star: Vannes. The Bretons, semi-finalists last year, are still undefeated this season, with two consecutive away victories.
Heroic, fantastic, united like a real team. We lack words to highlight the major performance of US Montauban, last Friday against Brive (34-28). At 14 against 15 after the red card received by Quentin Witt at the very start of the second half (48th), PP Lafond’s men felt themselves growing wings, not thanks to a famous energy drink, but thanks to a force of sublimated character. “A founding act in the fight”, as Julien Gauthier, one of the Tarn-et-Garonnais coaches, describes it.
The second important stone in the construction of a project, after the five inaugural points gleaned against Valence-Romans for the first time since 2014, is the rise of the Vert et Noir in the antechamber of the French rugby elite.
However, the author of these lines seemed very circumspect after a first muddled reception in the game against the Drômois followed by a transparent second act in Nevers (9-22). It seems that the trauma, let’s call a spade a spade, caused by last year’s catastrophic season, is serving this group in a positive way.
But in today’s rugby, where the classic extended seasons are followed by Pro D2 championships not even interrupted by the World Cup – the appearance of duplicates in Pro D2 which we are trying to eliminate in Top 14 by suspending the championship until November – we must not dwell on past victories. Rather quickly switch to the next trip in a region not very welcoming for the Montalbanais.
Vannes remains on two away victories
Vannes, Rabine and all the Breton people are firmly awaiting the USM. This is a top-of-the-table clash between the second, still undefeated and impressive during his first two trips to Mont-de-Marsan (22-13), semi-finalist last spring then Aurillac (19- 9), and the third, an almost unexpected position.
The Montalbanais, who necessarily have memories, remember that six months ago, they had one hand and four fingers already pointed towards the sky to celebrate an improbable victory at half-time (13-26), after having embarked on an extraordinary comeback. But, when it was time to conclude and release the beers of success which were waiting quietly in the fridge, they had to bow to a last try from Bessonart after the siren (37-40). A bad… joke and a scenario to especially avoid if the opportunity presents itself. They would then assert themselves as the scarecrow of the division, capable of successively overthrowing the relegated Top 14 player then the reigning semi-finalist at home. It would then be necessary to confirm against Rouen, just to no longer raise hopes for the teams presenting themselves in Montauban as visitors. And make Sapiac an impregnable citadel again.
We’re perhaps getting carried away a little too early, it’s true. But ask a member of the Ultras or the Supporters’ Club since when he no longer had a voice the day after a match at Sapiac, Saturday morning. He will barely remember Carcassonne, during the death match in April (28-23). For four seasons, he has been eating his black bread. So he would like, despite the absence of dressing rooms, to taste some foie gras and caviar again. And it starts tonight.
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