XV Picard 3 - CSCE Luxembourg 67
Although
the score may suggest an easy game for CSCE, it wasn’t. The first 10 minutes
were very difficult and the team had to put a brave defence in order to avoid
some serious damage in the score board.
A mix of
anxiety, handling errors, bad positioning and poor decisions gave XV Picard
hope the final result could be in their favour. This belief was even
accentuated when they opened the score on the 10th minute after a CSCE gave
away a penalty for diving in the ruck. Fortunately, the team responded well and
after a fine continuity which took the ball from left to right and to left
again, the action was stopped 2m from the line. Henry Seal took the ball from
the end of the ruck and couldn’t be stopped before the try line. Gareth Geoffreys
converted for a 7-3 lead. The team was improving but still not playing particularly
well. However, near the end of the half, one fine collective move gave Daniel
Ascoli time and space to enter and score. The score at half time: 3-12
Second half
couldn’t be more different. The pace, skills and team work improved
dramatically as the game progressed and XV Picard simply couldn’t follow. This resulted
in 9 tries scored in 35 minutes. It started in the 2nd minute when, after an
excellent scrum against, the opposition was in such pressure they fumble with the
ball. Adrian Amouryal took advantage and picked up the ball to score. Gareth
converted. 3 minutes later, in an excellent continuity move with several passes
between players, Adrian scored again. 2 minutes later, another fine move with
Adrian and Gareth passing the ball as the opponents were coming, ended with Gareth
scoring. On the 15th minute, it was for Pascal Vineis to score and Gareth to
convert. 2 minutes later, in the best action of the game, the ball was handled
by at least 10 players with Malo Trévalinet doing the last gesture. Gareth
converted. Till the end there was still time for Ervin Muric to score (30th
minute) and Samuel Irons to score twice (21st and 34th minute) Gareth converted
two of them for the final score of 3-67.
Overall, this
was an excellent game for CSCE. After timid start the team improved by every
minute and watching the second half, one could hardly say it was the first game
of season.
