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For the Barracudas, Saint-Barth's XV rugby team, the first priority was to get their bearings and apply on the pitch what they had been working on in training for over two months. Unable to take part in the 7-a-side rugby championship due to budget constraints, the Saint Barths had to rely on their physical preparation and joint work sessions to be ready last Saturday to take on a Goyavienne team that has been steadily improving over the last few seasons. And lest there be any doubts, the Barras scored their first try just after the quarter-hour mark, following a quick touch in the 5-metre corridor.captain Gabriel Pont's chistera (a technical gesture in rugby which consists of passing behind the back, throwing the arm backwards) by scrum-half Romain Descoustey (5-0). Even if he failed to convert this try, Descoustey will certainly remain the man of the match. After all, all RC Goyave's errors in the match were punished by the foot of Saint-Barthélemy's number 9. And before half-time, two more penalties (30',40') were awarded to Saint-Barth to bring the score to 11-0 at the break.
After the break, the home side woke up but were unable to cross the line, which was well guarded by the Saint-Barth defence. They took advantage of their opponents' slight hesitations and errors of hand to keep their advantage intact. On the attacking side, the Barras came close on several occasions, but while the RCG struggled to be inventive in attack, their back line did its utmost to avoid being swept away by the "ciels et blancs" in front of their home crowd at the Stade de la Rose. It was the scorers who kept the scoreboard ticking over, as referee Madame Ducamin blew her whistle, avoiding a profusion of unnecessary cards. Two new penalties were awarded to Descoustey. The Racoons de Goyave's in-house scorer, Stoltz, did likewise and also put his 6 points on the board.
At the final whistle, the Saint-Barths were exultant, having passed their early-season test. Now it's on to Saturday, December 6, when they welcome three-time defending Guadeloupe champions Good Luck de Gosier, who came to Saint-Jean at the end of last season to secure their place in the final. The Barracudas, in front of their home crowd, will be keen to redeem themselves next Saturday, at 3:30pm, at the Saint-Jean stadium.
Gilles Morel
Players' comments :
Gabriel Pont (Barracudas captain):
"I'm very happy with the lads, we've got a new team, we've welded something together tonight and this confirms the good atmosphere from the start of the season. Our training sessions are difficult in terms of conditions, as we don't have full lighting or all parts of the pitch available at Saint Jean. However, we've kept our heads together and worked hard physically to last 80 minutes against RC Goyave. I'm very happy to be the captain of this team. "
Remi Jacquet (RCG coach):
"We were too undisciplined, which meant we never managed to worry them in the first half. In the second half, I saw a much better Goyave team, who managed to keep up with a fine Barracudas team, which is a good sign for the future.
Romain Descoustey (Barracudas scrum-half):
"We've got quite a few new players in the squad this year, so we had to show a lot of desire and commitment to win this match. We also needed it to prepare for what's to come. Being together and taking on Goyave strengthens team cohesion. We're going to enjoy the win, and then we'll have 2 more training sessions to get ready and pull out the "spiked" helmet against Good Luck on Saturday, in front of our Saint-Jean fans, who always support us so strongly! "
Louka Boisson (Barracudas fly-half):
"We had the ingredients we needed to win. We've got a new hinge for this new season, with Romain, and we managed to get a good feel for each other during the match, even if the game shifted a lot to the forwards. Now we're looking forward to the match against Good Luck, so come and cheer us on in Saint-Jean! "
