Soyaux is not silky, Angoulême, not tender, wants its place the hard way
Beware of appearances. Still. Two outings during the first block for the Charentais, two defeats, one, narrow, 20-18, in Nevers, a heavy, 35-15 in Aix. 11th, Angoulême is in the very soft slack of the soft belly when landing on the edge of Midouze. Two lengths from the first relegated to play to be scared, but ultimately also only four lengths from Mons. The silky violets of Soyaux, which have changed little in terms of their workforce this summer, are led by the Basque devil Vincent Etcheto. After a year of purgatory in National they came back, the Charentais, with a declared desire to stay in Pro D 2. Their restart is however a bit silky but laborious. Success of a point against Vannes on their meadow of Chanzy at the start of the season, loss to Nevers, defeat at home against Aurillac, beating in Provence, small victory in their stadium against Béziers during the last day. It’s soft ! Certainly. Fifth worst attack in the championship, they are a little better in defense, the expression of a team that is believed to be cautious and wait-and-see despite its will, without knowing it of its own free will. Angoulême, a virtuous team however, which has qualities and which can hurt as soon as we let it take the wind. The group is young overall with sixteen hopefuls, possible reinforcement for a troop led among others by Patxi Bidart, a twenty-three-year-old Bayonne heel who passed through Moun in 2020, the former nine from Dacquois Adrien Bau, Manu Saubusse, ex-Montois, and the old aturines, the winger Marvin Lestremeau and third row Hubert Texier. Lestremau, precisely, he will have been untenable the whole game.
Funny match, and open house operation for the Mons defense.
The success was born in the pain of Mons who won in the end 34-26, three tries to two. In front of almost six thousand spectators. Three beautiful attempts, certainly, by Lisena, Banos and De Nardi. Diamond nugget that the test of Alexandre the very fast, on a breakthrough of Laousse after a striking relay of Jules Even, formidable and untenable the boy throughout the game. But the Gascons lacked consistency, speed, were off the mark sometimes, and above all seriously failed in defense, in the tackles, in the heat. They have only rarely been able to pack the meeting. A stammered first half, ineffective launches, Mensa, not in its normal activity, the too predictable game of Milhet’s men who express like an apathetic absence. We wonder before worrying. A little. Trials are good. Especially since they are the work of youth and audacity. Stade Montois owes its victory as much to its markers as in large part to the skilful boot of its scorer, Yohan Laousse-Azpiazu, impeccable, as in the game, and to the strength of his dominating pack in closed scrums and which offered several crucial and decisive penalties to his potato shooter. Angoulême, which leaves empty, however, did not fail. the charentais, devilish players, would have legitimately deserved an offensive bonus that their striker Jacob Botica lack of more than fifty meters on the siren. There is work to plug the gaps in Mons. Before the release, Thursday in Rouen. Patrick Milhet, Mons manager, not happy gave his group an appointment for lively training and tackle sessions this Saturday morning from dawn, at eight o’clock sharp on the meadow! In the standings Mont-de-Marsan is second on equal points with the leader Vannes. Rouen, next opponent of the scratches is 9th at five lengths.