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.