Rugby, National (1st day): CA Périgueux improves for its first match of the season (42-21)

The season couldn't have started better than with a 21-0 run after less than 20 minutes of play, or more than a point per minute played. CAP thus got off to a perfect start to their match against Rennes this Saturday, during the first day of the National League.

At the same time, that was what we couldn't miss, warned Didier Casadéi, the general manager. It seemed that his men had learned their lesson very well. In the 4th minute, launched by Nicolas Faltrept, it was Cyril Couturier who infiltrated and scored the first try, converted by Kotze (100% kicking in this match).

Breton second row Quesmel received a yellow card and left his teammates with 14 men. Périgueux took advantage of this to clear the ball after a throw-in. Fouillade was served, he returned to traffic and gave the ball to Scholes who went to the ladies for his big comeback (14-0, 14th). The full-back had ants in his pants, because on a good kick from Camou along the touchline, the Rennes winger was beaten in his in-goal and Rory Scholes scored a double (21-0, 17th).

Worse, Rennes could have reduced the score through Noble, but he missed his penalty (21st).

The frenetic pace of the first few minutes slowed down a little before Sacha Rosenberg scored the fourth CAP try on a maul, CAP's trademark (28-0, 34th). Rennes made up for it a little with former Périgourdin, Clément Cavalière (28-7, 39th), while Périgueux found themselves shorthanded to start the second half, with Hickes' yellow card (40th).

A second half of lesser quality

Rennes made two changes at halftime, which brought in new blood and the second try for the Bretons, scored by Dauvergne (28-14, 49th). Didier Casadéi also brought on six new players, including Dorian Lavernhe, who scored CAP's fifth try (35-14, 54th). This second half then fell into a false rhythm, where neither defense was in place. Both teams fumbled balls and were not attentive. The proof was this try from a Beaujouan maul (35-21, 58th). Périgueux then lost a lineout at the Rennes 22-meter line (61st) and the Bretons took advantage to monopolize the ball and camp at the Périgourdins' home ground.

With just over ten minutes left in the match, Clément Lanen, the new captain after Afa Amosa's departure, asked Hutley to take a throw-in. This was to claim the bonus point that the Périgourdins had lost on Rennes' last try. The throw-in was well taken, the ball cleared, but the referee wouldn't let the advantage continue and warned the REC captain.

Play resumed, but CAP lost the ball under the posts. The game then accelerated, with Fouillade putting his team back on the attack. The ball was lost again within 40 meters by Rennes, who decided to play by hand and committed a foul.

The bonus at the end of the end

Périgueux lost Falatea to a yellow card in the 75th minute, but didn't let it get them down. A penalty kick allowed them to put Hickes through and be just a few meters from the Rennes in-goal area. The referee blew his whistle and showed another yellow card to REC prop Yameogo in the 80th minute.

At 14 against 14, the CAP decided to play the penalty by hand with a handful of seconds left in the match. And in the in-goal, the ball was not flattened, tempers then heated up. The game resumed but Quesmel received a second yellow, the referee brought out the red. Périgueux brought on some heavyweights with Amosa and Lavergne who returned to the field and tried with their teammates to score the bonus try after regulation time. And it was finally Damien Lavergne who scored the sixth try of the match synonymous with an offensive bonus (42-21, 80th + 6).

Technical sheet

XV of Périgueux: Scholes (Amosa, 80th), Camou, Hickes (Lavernhe, 10th, then return to play 19th), Couturier (Lavernhe, 49th), Fouillade (Lavergne, 80th), Kotze (Hutley, 58th), Faltrept (Bordenave, 58th), Lambert (Lançon, 77th), Amosa (cap) (Merigan, 49th), Rosenberg, Lavergne (Vieilledent, 49th), Lanen, Hughes (Pelmard, 49th), Lançon (Falatea, 49th), Borges (Ferreira, 49th) For Périgueux: 6 tries from Cyril (4th), Scholes (14th, 17th), Rosenberg (34th), Laverhne (54th), Lavergne (80th + 6), 5 conversions from Kotze (4th, 14th, 17th, 34th, 54th), Hutley (80th + 6) Yellow cards: Hickes (40th), Falatea (75th)

XV of Rennes: Monteil, Hillman-Cooper, Cornu (Bouldoire, 56th), Lepresle (Cornu, 67th), Cavalière, Noble, Dauvergne (Berrod, 56th), Grundlingh (Dufurcq, 40th), Bertrand (Brown, 56th), Beaujouan (Bertrand, 67th), Quesmel (Arveladze, 49th), Algans (Quesmel, 67th), De Sousa (Yameogo, 49th), Fau (cap) (Purai, 56th), Le Jallé (Foigne, 40th) For Rennes: 3 tries from Cavalière (39th), Dauvergne (49th), Beaujouan (58th), 3 conversions from Noble (39th, 49th, 58th) Yellow cards: Quesnel (13th, 80th, therefore red)