Montauban end Brive’s unbeaten run despite 15 penalties

Four tries to two for USM, who climb to fifth. Brive stay second.

Brive started well with two Leny Broncan penalties (0-6, 8th minute). Montauban replied through Vaiolini Ekuasi (12th) and Stéphane Ahmed (17th). Geoffrey Cros brought Brive back into it (29th), but Dachi Papunashvili scored Montauban’s third try before the break (35th). The fourth, from prop Siosifa Amone in the 52nd minute, made the difference. Enzo Hervé, facing the club where he started his career, kicked three conversions and two penalties for 12 points. Cros scored a second try in the 58th minute, but it was not enough.

Montauban missed out on the attacking bonus point, having not scored three more tries than Brive. They remain unbeaten at Sapiac this season, after Grenoble (20-17) and Béziers (50-21). “We played the game we needed to win it,” manager Sébastien Tillous-Borde said after the match.

Discipline, again

The indiscipline has not gone away. According to LNR statistics, USM conceded another 15 penalties to Brive’s 11, and hooker Ru-Hann Greyling was sin-binned in the 67th minute. Montauban are now on 90 penalties in six rounds and nine yellow cards, level with Béziers before their Friday game at Valence-Romans.

In the table, Montauban climb to fifth on 17 points. Brive, who could have gone top for the night, stay second on 21 points, with Provence Rugby and Biarritz, who play on Friday, close behind.