Nevers is not doing well. Even if this is not something news after the first day of the season when Soyaux-Angoulême overwhelmed the team at the Pré-Fleuri. In their last fifteen matches, USON have only won two…
They were hoping to recover in the second match of the 2019-2020 season. It is true that the task for Nevers was always going to be tricky against Oyonnax after their first win of the season at home, 53-13 against Valence-Romans (seven tries to one).
The USON team hardly did any better than the recently promoted Drôme team, as they were severely beaten 54-16 (six tries to one).
Le Bourhis, the hangman
The match could be summed up by the epilogue. Nevers were behind, 47-16 and it had all been over for ages. The final siren wailed as the visitors attempted one more kick between the posts. The local team recovered the ball. Oyonnax put their foot down on the accelerator, in particular the substitute prop Thomas Laclayat. It was a magnificent move and finished between the goal posts with Julien Audy diving over the line. Like the five other tries his team scored, Yohan Le Bourhis converted the sixth.
Clumsy and showing a lack of discipline
If the Nevers team was overwhelmed it was not entirely down to the performance of the visitors. They made too many mistakes and were not precise enough. They never attacked Jo El Abd’s players during the first half… that they finished down to thirteen, as Ilikena Bolakoro and Fred Quercy each got a yellow card.
Wildfire
Coming out of the changing room, Nevers seemed to want to do better. Loïc Le Gal got away from the claws of Oyonnax, but he did not have enough support. Xavier Péméja used up all his substitutes by the 52nd minute, but even new blood was not enough. Oyonnax pleased the crowds at Charles-Mathon, with Nevers only saving their honour with a try by one of their forwards, Hikawera Elliot.
If they want to avoid being crucified this season, the team from Burgundy has to react in their third match of the season, when they play at home against Biarritz on Thursday at the Pré-Fleuri.
