N1 elite – J20 | Annecy offers Mulhouse, Saintes dismisses Pau from the Top5!
With 2 rounds to go, the first 4 teams in the standings won while Saintes took 5th place in Pau (28-33). Mulhouse, defeated in Annecy (33-27), was doubled in the standings by Gonfreville, victorious in Dreux-Vernouillet (21-26).
While Frontignan will play in Bordeaux next week, two teams are following the Héraultais on the trail and are ready to pounce. This is the case ofAnnecywho remains in the race after his controlled victory against Mulhouse-Rixheim. The partners of a Bastien Giucciardi prolific (7/9) finally created the gap at the end of the first period before taking place in the second (29-19, 48′). The two teams had a big duel of goalkeepers, with 16 saves for the Alsatians Cvetkovic and Gschwind, and 14 for Ludovic Le Goff local side (33-27). The Haut-Savoyards thus remain in the race for second place, neck and neck with the PSG reserve.
Because at the Alexandre Lippman gymnasium, an Île-de-France derby was being played out between the reserve of Paris Saint Germain and theElite Val d’Oise. The visitors will take a first gap as the break approaches, thanks to an excellent Mehdi Ismaili Alaoui (9 but, including 7 in the first period), but the young players of the capital will gradually return in the second act. They too can count on an impeccable pivot with Tony Mendi (7/7) and it was he who put his own at +2 at the start of money time (27-25, 51′). Thierry Perreux’s men are forced to hold on and win before a perilous trip to Saintes (31-30).
Saintes ejects Pau from the Top5!
Annecy, Paris, Frontignan, Bordeaux, … none of the 4 biggest formations of the pool had managed to win in the fortress of Pau Nousty. Elite Val d’Oise was the only team to win there this season. And despite the magnitude of the task at hand, the players of theUS Saintes crushed their opponent in front of his audience. As often in the big successes of New Aquitaine, Maximilien Soliani was brilliant in his cage (15 saves), while his teammates were hard-hitting in attack. And despite the good offensive performances of the backs Maxime Lamudé (7/12) and Adjiri Corcher (8/10), the Palois dive to the score (13-22, 35′). And if, following the red card of Nemanja Grujicic, the men of Michel Laborde will see a hope of return, they will find Soliani on their way to 7 meters, and a Adama Ouedraogo who folds the debates of his 9th goal (24-29, 51 ‘). A clear and flawless success, to be confirmed next week against PSG to retain 5th place (28-33).
Bordeaux & Frontignan: the show before the shock
Higher in the table, Bordeaux and Frontignan made short work of their opponents. A PoitiersPhilippe Gardent’s men engaged in a duel of extremes to claim their first place and keep the Griffons under water in the penultimate place (24-31). At home, the Héraultais were able to celebrate with their public the rise in Proligue acquired last week in Mulhouse. It is Crown who served as an expiatory victim, and is already offside from the break (21-11, 30′). We note that if they lost some hair following their qualification in Proligue, Guillaume Margnoux (7/11) and Sacha Bouchillou (5/8) will be dangerous in attack, while their goalkeepers will also have made the show on the other side of the field (15 saves for Mesnard and Savonne). The players celebrate their victory with their audience well before the end of the match, the mass is said (40-31). Frontignan and Bordeaux will meet next week for a duel at the top. And if the Girondins are 3 points ahead of their pursuer, the Frontignannais will badly need points to stay in the first two places, qualifying for the play-offs.
Finally, at the bottom of the table, the weeks follow each other and look alike for Dreux-Vernouillet. The Euréliens again managed to impose a defensive match on their evening opponent, but that’s good Gonfreville who raced in the lead. The future of Courtonne Enzo Jean-Louis (7/11) once again was very good in attack, as well as the pivot Rachid Belkacem (8/10), but that wasn’t enough. Despite the exclusion of his captain Lassana Niakate fifteen minutes from time, Ibrahima Diallo’s men manage the money time perfectly and win (21-26). The Normans thus double Mulhouse in the standings, and will have a precious opportunity to widen the gap next week by receiving them in Delaune.
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Antoine Piollat