The Stade Niçois is traveling to Aubagne this Sunday (3:00 PM) for the 14th day of the regular season. Currently tied for fourth place in the standings and threatened by the sixth-place team, Nice must win to gain some breathing room and move closer to qualifying for the playoffs.
We often say, “Be careful, it’s a trap game.” This trip to Aubagne falls into that category. For Stade Niçois, aiming for the top of the table and perhaps promotion to Fédérale 1, playing against Aubagne, which is fighting to avoid relegation, can be a real trap.
Postponed last week due to closed fields, this match is the first of three for the Nice team (trip to Monteux, 10th, home game against Fréjus-Saint-Raphael, 9th). Gilbert Doucet’s men are coming off a very convincing victory against Beaurepaire (66-26). It was certainly an offensive showcase (9 tries), but a permeable defense leaves some regrets. For the match against Aubagne, the injury list has grown with captain Romain Catoni still out. As a result, Liam Wilkinson (flanker) and Damien Canizares (prop) will make their appearance in the squad.
On the Aubagne side, the season is complicated and will remain so until the end in this fight for survival in Fédérale 2. With only three points ahead of the ninth-placed team, the balance remains fragile. Aubagne recently suffered a heavy defeat to Vienne, the second-placed team (38-11), but they are capable of good performances, such as their 22-16 victory against Beaurepaire and giving the leader Grasse a good run (30-19 loss).
“It’s an important match, victory is mandatory, and if we can improve it, that would be wonderful. We cannot afford to lose in the upcoming away games if we want to qualify. We must be wary of so-called weaker teams until the end,” says Viktor Maquaire, the Nice fly-half.
The situation is simple. In the event of a bonus-point win this Sunday, the Nice team would move back into 3rd place ahead of Bedarrides and close to Vienne, in second. With five matches remaining, every point counts, and the higher Nice finishes, the more “manageable” their playoff opponent will be.
Photo credit and more information on www.stadenicois.fr
