Professional rugby: in Cruzy/Saint-Chinian, the American Nissan Colombiers will face the biggest challenge, in the round of 16 of the Regional 3 Occitanie.

“I played there, I coached there, it’s a team we know well”Pascal Pont, coach of Nissan-Colombiers for five years, knows what to expect on Sunday at the Camille-Salvetat field, against Cruzy Saint-Chinian Quarante.

After a quiet season, due to the lack of workers after the Covid crisis, Nissan Colombiers of America got its colors, blue and purple, last season.

Killian Maurat and his teammates won the shield with the Challenge d’Occitanie R3, before falling in the semi-finals of the Challenge de France. that adventure “bringing back the envy of the club, but also attracting people”says the technician.

If it was not in the top 4 of its group during the previous year, USNC was proud of its chest this year. Losing three times, Nissano-Colombiérains have not lost since November 19 and the trip to Lieuran (15-9).

Aim to climb

“We have been trying to put together since the start of the season,” explains Pascal Pont, who can count on a group of about thirty players. Second in its group behind Canet, the defending champion of France, USNC hosted the Marguerittes, in the playoffs, last week.

“We put a bit of pressure on ourselves, we lost chances at halftime, trailing 12-3.”, explains Pont. With four tries in less than a quarter of an hour after the restart, Héraultais quickly took over, eventually winning 32-12.

Faced with AOCSCQ XV, “We must not try to adapt to our enemy”warns the coach.

An important banner for three reasons: winning will allow the winner to reach the quarter-finals, qualifying for the French championship, but above all to confirm the promotion to Region 2, the goal of the USNC.
“First we wanted to try to qualify, now it’s climbing”concludes the manager.