Nissa’s first-half blitz settles the basement scrap — the rest was window dressing

10/9/2026 17:30

Stade Marcel Volot

Ref: Ludovic Carrillo

Nissa

France - Pro D2

32

17

Round 6

Nevers

C. Egiziano (5', 40+0'), J. Farnoux (9'), E. Labadie (28'), C. Martinez (33')

Tries

J. Barraque (5', 10')

Conversions

J. Barraque (40+36')

Penalties

This fixture was meant to tell us who could stop the slide. What it actually showed is that Nissa Rugby can jump on a vulnerable opponent and that USON Nevers still don’t handle scoreboard pressure. The contest was effectively decided by the interval; everything after that only softened the optics.

There isn’t much verified post-match detail in the wild yet, but the numbers and the list of scorers sketch a clear picture. Nissa were 32–0 up at half-time thanks to five tries and just enough control at set piece to keep Nevers pinned. Two scores in the first ten minutes set the tone. From there, the newly promoted hosts didn’t need to be pretty; they needed to be accurate. They were.

Their edge threats did the damage. Clément Egiziano finished twice and created as well, Julien Farnoux countered with purpose for a try and 58 metres, and Francis Saili punched holes for 68 metres and two clean breaks. Inside them, Jean-Pascal Barraque steered with a light touch — two conversions, a penalty, an assist — and controlled the tempo alongside Théo Idjellidaine, who had a hand in the build-up. Up front, Clément Martinez hit 14 lineout throws and grabbed a try, while Arthur Vignolles (20 tackles) and Christie van der Merwe (17) underlined a work rate that let the backs play on front-foot ball in that ruthless first act.

Nevers’ response only arrived once the mountain was too high. They finished with more defenders beaten than Nissa — 19 to 15, with Ebenezer Tshimanga particularly lively — and they found two second-half tries through Efi Ma’afu and replacement Ted Condon, plus a penalty from Raphaël Sanchez and two conversions by Shaun Reynolds. But it’s the stuff between those moments that still kills them: 15 turnovers conceded, a faltering 77% lineout and four backfield giveaways from full back Dylan Jaminet. They made enough dents to make it interesting; they coughed up enough ball to make it academic.

The turning point wasn’t a decision or a card; it was the opening quarter. Nevers arrived bottom and winless, and they played like a team hoping to ease into it. Nissa didn’t allow them that luxury. Once Egiziano and Farnoux had them chasing the game inside ten minutes and Enzo Labadie and Martinez added close-range finishes before the break, the visitors were into off-script rugby. That’s when the loose passes and pick-and-go spills inflate a turnover column. It’s also when a set piece under strain gets exposed. Nissa, at 85% on their own throws and with eight of nine scrums banked, had clean platforms; Nevers didn’t.

Does the 15-point margin flatter anyone? A little, and not the winners. Nissa were 32 clear at the half and didn’t score again. They made 181 tackles all up and missed 20, which tells you Nevers had lengthy ball in the second period and found seams. But you can’t ignore the context: the game state let Nissa manage risk, kick exits and trust their defence. The late rally made the score look more respectable; it didn’t make the game close.

For Nissa, this was a must-bank night in a survival fight. The takeaways are encouraging and awkward in equal measure. Encouraging: the lineout ran hot, the strike plays hit the gain line, and the senior backs — Barraque, Saili, Farnoux — looked a class above in broken field. Awkward: 40 minutes of attack followed by 40 minutes of absorb is not a template you want to repeat, and the penalty count plus a yellow won’t please the coaches. They’ll want an 80-minute version of that first half when the schedule toughens.

For Nevers, the pattern is wearyingly familiar. There’s enough budget and experience there to expect better than five straight losses, and the carry threat isn’t the issue — Rati Zazadze carried hard, Tshimanga broke tackles, Reynolds asked questions. The problems are structural: instability at the lineout, loose decision-making once they trail, and a backfield that gifts entries. Until they tidy that, the narrow defeats and late flurries will keep piling up without changing the column that matters.

Bottom line: Nissa proved they can be decisive early and organised enough to see it out; Nevers again learned that chasing a game you’ve already handed away is a habit that keeps you at the foot of the table.