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A well-deserved draw
Take two points in Dijon, who played the knife under the throat, after being led 21-6 is not trivial. Note that Berbizier, at the end of the first half and Fuertes, at the start of the second, missed a defeat. Snatch a draw, when we had come back to 24-20 and found ourselves at 27-20 at the end of regulation time, shows a sacred proof of character. Because it was necessary to score a try during the few minutes of stoppage time and succeed, under pressure, the transformation. But contrary to what the evolution of the score and the Tarbaise “climb” might suggest, this draw is well deserved. Because it was the Tarbais who played most of the game and carried the ball the most throughout the game. Dijonnais who scored superb tries on flashes but who, overall, used a lot of footwork. To the point that it was almost against the course of the game that Dijon took the score and broke away on well-constructed game launches and not on series of sequences on raises.
Dijon against the run of play
Dijon scored their first try on a stolen ball in touch and a good first-hand attack with a small over from the rear Altier who flattened the first 7-3. A splendid but marked try against the run of play, while Tarbes monopolized the ball. Dijon was going to score a second try before half-time, after a well-defended penal touch but Pic took advantage of an unloading from Liabot, in the heart of the defense, to score 14-3. It was on a new ball lost in touch, that Alonso scored a third try, synonymous with an offensive bonus, on an offering from Altier 21-6. Fuertes added, at the end of the match, two efficiencies obtained on scrum and on offside. The last solution, obtained by playing games, could make the Burgundians regret not having played more. But the big defensive pressure of the Tarbais also forced Altier and Fuertes to use the game on foot to give themselves some air.
A hat-trick from Monzon and Lhusero
The Tarbais, determined, had taken the game on their own from the kick-off and Rubio had failed on the corner flag (5th). It is logical that Berbizier had opened the score on penalty 0-3 (7th). Led 14-3 at half-time, Tarbes continued to make the game and failed under the posts but Berbizier managed the breakdown 14-6 (44th). Affected but not demobilized by the third Burgundian try, the Tarbais persisted in sending the game and put the Dijonnais at fault. It was on a school ball, following a five-meter penal touch, that Mondon flattened the first of his three tries and Lhusero ensured the transformation into a 21-13 play. Despite Fuertes’ penalty, the Tarbais went on and put the Dijonnais at fault. Dijon defended well but Mondon scored his second try flush with a regroup on the 24-20 line after a pounding in order. Fuertes’ second penalty, at the end of regulation time, did not knock out the Tarbais who started again and again put Dijon at fault. On the penal touch five yards out, the maul got underway and Mondon scored the hat-trick with his third try of the afternoon and Lhusero scored his third conversion, to snatch a well-deserved draw.
The strength of the Tarbes bank
Led throughout the match, the Tarbais never gave up despite a proposed scenario and a score that moved away each time they got closer. The Tarbes bench is for a lot in the Tarbes reaction. The Erasmus, Duny, Mondon, Sajous, Agueb, Millet, Dumestre and Paulet, provided extra soul to a team that could have started to doubt at 21-6, less than half an hour from the end . Countered in touch in the first half, the Bigourdans relied on a rediscovered conquest to register their three tries, following penal touches. The Tarbais, countered in defense on the game in the axis in the first half, were able to find the advance by dismissing the balls more quickly in the second period. More determined, the Bigourdans rather dominated in the rucks and tied the game in closed scrum. The “young people”, Cantan, Duffau, Agueb, made up for the absence of the executives, Stanaway, Méron, Manu, who added to those of Mamao and Combier, facing a fine Dijon team. Despite the absences of Caramel, Kusiolek, Mieres, Lebian and Nehme, Dijon lined up its best players of the moment, with the return from injury of Alonso, Pic, Dufau, Fromenteze, Quarrie, Peyri and the presence of Altier, Conduché, Majola, Amiot (15 games), Liabot, Alarcon, Jamet, Sproston (14 games), Kafotamaki, Bécasseau (13 games), Odiete, Brou (12 games), Fuertes, Tabarot (11 games), Desbordes, Paul (10 games ) and Garnier (9 matches). The Tarbes performance, with less used players like Agueb (3 games), Cantan (6 games) or Dufau (7 games), is all the more remarkable. Especially since Tarbes lined up eight Espoirs (Cantan, Duffau, Millet, Réal, Agueb, Saint-Guilhem, Lamothe) against three in Dijon (Altier, Garnier, Tabarot).
JJ Lasserre