ProD2:
"Super happy" Dambielle kicks La Rochelle into Top 14 with
play-off victory
24 May 2010
La
Rochelle will play in Top 14 next season after Benjamin
Dambielle's unerring boot guided them to a highly
entertaining 32-26 victory against Lyon OU in the ProD2
play-off final at Brive's Stade Amédée Domenech.
The
former Brive and Biarritz full-back kicked six penalties and
two conversions to help the 'Maritimers' overcome a
blitzkrieg start by Lyon, who ran in three tries in the
opening half hour.
Former
London Irish and Gloucester winger James Bailey was first to
cross the line when he touched down for Lyon after just
three minutes to give them the perfect start.
Outside
centre Cédric Leite was next over, on 18 minutes, when he
capitalised on a break by fellow centre Vinaya Wakanivuga,
while Bailey doubled up just six minutes later after a rare
dominant scrum from Lyon. Full-back Pierre-Yves Montagnat
missed the latter two conversions, but Lyon were still 20-9
to the good at that point.
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But
despite conceding three tries La Rochelle remained very much
in the match with their powerful earning a series of
kickable penalties for Dambielle as they took their cue from
Stade Toulousain's show of forward strength against Biarritz
to win the Heineken Cup.
Time and
again the Lyon pack crumbled in the face of La Rochelle's
overwhelming power, with Dambielle kicking five first-half
penalties to leave the score 20-15 at the break.
It
remained like that until the 53rd minute when La Rochelle
scrum-half Benjamin Ferrou burrowed over from close range
after Florian Ninard had been stopped five metres short.
Dambielle maintained his 100% record with a touchline
conversion that gave his team the lead for the first time in
the match.
Montagnat and Dambielle then exchanged penalties before Lyon
replacement Eugene N'Zi was yellow carded in the 62nd
minute. Montagnat kicked a further penalty two minutes later
to edge Lyon 26-25 ahead but La Rochelle finally made their
numerical advantage tell when winger Ninard switched with
Ferrou to touch down with just nine minutes left.
Dambielle, inevitably, landed the conversion
to put La Rochelle 32-26 ahead and that's how it ended. The
24-year-old full-back did eventually miss a kick when his
long-range 78th-minute effort fell short, but it couldn't
detract from an outstanding individual performance which
garnered 22 points in all.
Dambielle graciously gave credit to his outstanding forwards
after the victory, adding: "This win is for the whole group
because we are a united squad."
He went
on to describe himself as "super happy", but admitted that
the hard work would start now as they try and prepare
themselves for the huge leap in playing standards between
ProD2 and Top 14. "We offer this victory to all the people
of La Rochelle, who have always backed us," said Dambielle.
La
Rochelle have already begun their recruitment campaign for
next season, with Fijian Seru Rabeni arriving from Leeds,
but more are signings are sure to be announced in the coming
days.
They
will be hoping to fair better than SCA Albi, who were
relegated straight back down to ProD2 after winning the
play-off final last season, but the challenge will be
immense. In recent seasons it has taken huge financial
backing to succeed after gaining promotion, with the likes
of Racing-Métro and Toulon succeeding thanks to the
seemingly bottomless pockets of Jacky Lorenzetti and Mourad
Boudjellal respectively.
But
no-one can take away their joy at winning promotion on
Sunday and next season they will take their rightful place
among France's elite in Top 14.
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