The U’Boys, defeated in Lorient on Tuesday (75-63), still have one game to equal their record from last year (12 wins, 14 losses) before switching to group B in phase 2.
Maintaining the prospect of a balanced balance sheet in the regular phase: this is what the Union aspired to on Tuesday evening in Lorient. In vain, since with this second consecutive outside, the U’Boys know that they will not be able to do better than last year (12 wins, 14 losses). To equal this record, it will still be necessary for the Bigourdans to finish with a victory against the Sables Vendée next Wednesday. “This group is really very strong, notes Didier Yedra, at the time of the provisional balance sheet. There are clubs which are really above in terms of budget, workforce. Overall, we are rather satisfied until here, there is a small hint of disappointment but we must not be the only ones in this case I believe.
Inconstancy as a glass ceiling
This hint of disappointment is explained in particular by this irregularity in the results. Never, this season, the Union has been able to line up three successes in a row. Relying on series is what makes the difference with the top of the table. Lorient is the perfect illustration of this, with the Morbihannais currently riding a wave of seven straight victories. “It’s true that every time we had hoped to switch to the right side, we didn’t succeed. We had the ambition to go and tickle the top 5, we sometimes succeeded on some matches but we have shown inconsistency like some players who could nevertheless show themselves more in phase 2 of the championship.
Because the season is far from over for the Union, unlike that of last year, stopped at the end of the regular season because of the health context. Regardless of his last result to come on Wednesday, phase 2 will open the following week with the ambition of seeking a place in the play-offs (see opposite). “We don’t have the pressure of the descent so we have to give ourselves the means to get this 3rd phase (play-offs)”, insists Dider Yedra when we must not already start thinking about the construction of the team for next year. Unless the situation turns around, Chris Chougaz should always be there, the president of the Union wanting above all to bet on stability and on a core of players already present. But one thing at a time.
Nm1, phase 2: instructions for use
The Union being certain of finishing between 8th and 10th place in pool A, it is preparing, from March 11, to play the teams of pool B (Andrézieux, Orchies, Boulogne, Pont-de-Chéruy, Besançon ) ranked from 6th to 10th place in the round trip formula. That is 10 matches in total in this phase 2 to establish a classification where, precision, the teams which have already faced each other during phase 1 do not meet again but keep the direct results acquired during phase 1. In this new mini-championship with 10 teams, the first 7 will go to the play-offs (with the 9 formations of group A, the first of this high hen being crowned champion of NM1 and guaranteed to go up in Pro B), the last 3 will have it, them, finish with their season. Not easy to follow… but such is the formula of this NM1.
