Nevers just cannot manage it. They have not beaten Béziers since they were promoted to Pro D2. On Thursday evening, in a sold out match at the Pré-Fleuri, the Uson showed their limits, which is bound to disappoint with just two days to go before the final phase. Unless it is already underway, as we may believe from the performance from the team from Hérault against Nevers.
A short lead
Tough, aggressive, provoking… the visitors set the scene for a nail-biting contest. But the yellow cards awarded to Jordan Puletua in the fourth and Jean-Baptiste Barrère in the 23rd, did not really hit them hard. After being sent to the sin bin, the teams were drawing, 3-3. Nicolas Vuillemin did well with his right foot from 40 metres, but Samuel Katz responded after a scrum.
With 15 against 15, the yellows manage to get six points ahead with Vuillemin scoring twice.
Practically from the halfway line, the local star just missed out before half time with Béziers once again crossing the white line and getting their third card of the half.
Things did not go any better for the Burgundy team at the start of the second half and they were unable to take advantage of having more men on the pitch for the third time…
Béziers weathered the storm, grabbing any balls that came their way from Nevers and blocking Josaïa Raisuqe. Xavier Péméja’s troops thwarted them on several occasions.
Kazu very present
Replacing Katz, Victor Dreuille, aged just twenty, brought his team back shortly after an hour of play. While Nevers tried to get ahead again of their opponents, the latter stuck to them like chewing gum and Dreuille cooled things down.
A goal from Loïc Le Gal helped the locals with Raisuqe leading them, but his scrum got a penalty giving Béziers an opportunity to improve their score. Le Gal gave renewed hope to the crowds at Pré-Fleuri after a huge attack led by Hugues Bastide accompanied by Julien Kazubek, who was very present in this match, and David Lolohea. However,after failing once, the hero from Hérault equalised again just before the end of the match.
Béziers had the extra ball but the referee brought the Beziers dreams to an end.
