In Extenso Supersevens – Pau – Monaco in the final, bis repetita?
In Perpignan as in La Rochelle, we were treated to the same poster in the final. This year, Pau and Monegasques seem above the lot.
It makes you wonder where the suspense has gone. In this month of August, two teams at 7 leave nothing to other formations. They monopolize the stage trophies, and do not seem inclined to leave their share to the other lions of the pack.
Since the start of the 2022 edition of the Supersevens, the Pau Section and Monaco have only suffered one defeat each, and have reached the final each time, establishing themselves as the two best attacks (31, 25 and 26.75 points scored per game on average) and defenses (12.75 and 9.25 points against per game on average) of the competition.
On the one hand, the Béarnais of Rayne Barka rolled over almost everyone in the enclosure of Aimé-Giral, during the first stage. After crushing Usap in the opening (47-0), they had dominated the specialists from Bordeaux-Bègles (26-12), before denting a young and surprising Bayonne formation in the semi-finals (40-12). Thus, they had found the Monegasque wall to clinch the stage victory.
Johan Demai-Hamecher’s partners had so far offered themselves an equally fluid course, sweeping Brive, La Rochelle and Racing 92, without ever being worried, and above all, without ever conceding the slightest point! The first half of the final had given rise to a tense, tight confrontation, before Geoffrey Lanne-Petit’s protégés broke away in the second half. The victory was Pau.
The Baa-Baas can play the spoilsports
Last weekend, it was roughly the same scenario. The men in red wandered around Deflandre, having no mercy for the Toulousains (40-7), Bordelo-Béglais (34-19) and other Parisians (31-7), before taking their revenge on Pau still once finalists (26-12), for a third stage victory in almost a year. One everywhere, ball in the center, between players from Rocher and Béarn. And the ratings for a new remake on the Hameau side are not really high…
Of the two weekends of competition played so far, only the Baa-Baas have seemed able to trip one of the two scarecrows. It was in La Rochelle, during a spectacular semi-final against Section Pau, where the fate of the match was decided in the dying seconds of play (33-28). So maybe… In any case, apart from Nicolas Le Roux’s gang, it’s hard to see who could bring down Monaco and its stars on the circuit (Afrika, Del Mestre…), or even the professionals of the Section (Barka, Tagitagivalu …), two groups that had already won everything in stages last season.
Disappointing on Saturday, Racing does not seem as armed and sovereign as in the first editions. Then, the youngsters of Rowing – like those of the French Stadium – probably lack a little experience on the septist circuit. On a match, why not Union Bordeaux-Bègles, a formation accustomed to Sevens games, and which has not yet secured its place for the final tournament in Nanterre… Anyway, the important thing will be above all to be there on November 19. Several teams have already validated their ticket for the Arena. It remains to know the identity of the other qualifiers, who will be eight in number. Answer this Saturday, near Pau.