Thanks to a penalty from Maxime Lafage, also author of a try, when the two teams were tied 17-17 on the lawn of the Burgundians, Vannes created the feat Thursday (20-17) in the first jump-off by making fall on his lawn a team from Nevers who had not lost since February 10. For the second Pro D2 semi-final in their history, the Bretons will face regular season leader Oyonnax at home on Friday.
First barrage of this final phase of Pro D2 and… first sensation. Vannes has indeed created the feat on the lawn of Nevers, which nevertheless remained on ten games without defeat and had not lost since February 10, on the lawn of Provence Rugby. A series that clearly did not impress the Bretons, who nevertheless remained on an away defeat, a few days earlier in Grenoble. To avoid experiencing a new setback, Vannes attacked the match foot to the floor, and quickly opened the scoring on a penalty from Maxime Lafage.
The RCV then led 3-0 and the visitors’ opener did not yet know that he was going to become the hero of the evening for his team, later in this first play-off (the second will oppose Mont-de-Marsan to Agen on Friday evening ), passing a new penalty, this time for the win. But Lafage was not there yet. And his team first feared the worst, when Steven David scored his 4th try of the season on a carried ball, shortly after Lafage opened the scoring. A double sanction for the future winners, who also found themselves at fourteen after the yellow card received by Joe Edwards. The score went to 10-3, but no more and after the Nivernais Luka Plataret, already warned against… Vannes in the second leg, in turn forced his team to evolve in numerical inferiority, a penalty try allowed the Vannetais to return tied (10-10) just before the break.
Nevers returns with a knife between his teeth, Vannes responds tit for tat
𝙇𝙀 𝙍𝘾𝙑 𝙀𝙎𝙏 𝙀𝙉 𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙄𝙀 😍
The adventure goes on ! At the end of a huge fight and a match full of control, the Bretons bring down Nevers at the Pré-Fleuri.
𝙌𝙪𝙚𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝! 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙞 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙚𝙪𝙧𝙨 🙌#RCV BreizhRugby #DamsPROD2 pic.twitter.com/RSooxUeN8i
– RUGBY CLUB VANNES (@RugbyClubVannes) May 11, 2023
Even still at fourteen, Nevers would then return from the locker room with the firm intention of moving up a gear. The reward was not long in coming, at the conclusion of a devastating sprint by the inevitable Christian Ambadiang, author of his 14th try of the season. It smelled good for Nevers. However, once again, Vannes reacted and Lafage, definitely very prominent, allowed the Bretons to pick up again, this time on a try, after having been perfectly served in the interval. At 17-17, everything had to be redone for both teams. The visitors, boosted by this second try, increased their pressure, Vannes obtained a penalty, which Lafage sent between the posts. For the first time in the game, the Bretons regained the advantage (20-17).
Despite a last Nivernais situation spoiled by a forward, they were not going to let go. For the second time in its history, the Rugby Club Vannetais will play the semi-finals of Pro D2. Facing Oyonnax, next Friday on the lawn of the best team of the regular season. It will take a new feat for the Bretons. But they showed Thursday by bringing down this team from Nevers that we currently thought was invincible that they were capable of anything.
