Three shutouts for each finalist against Montpellier and La Rochelle, who will head home to compete (or not) for third and fourth place. The two heavyweights of Pool A face off:
Rouen, yes Rouen, who will play their nth final (we’ve lost count) and Savigny, who, in their 40th anniversary celebration, will attempt revenge in the France Challenge.
Rewind
In April, during the regular season, the two teams faced off, and Rouen emerged victorious twice with close scores (8-3 and 4-2). A month later, last spring, the France Challenge pitted Savigny against Rouen in the final. Rouen was untouchable and dominated in many aspects of the game to win convincingly 11-2.
Back to the regular season, Montigny and the Cougars made each team doubt themselves by winning a game in their doubleheaders in June. Then came the second confrontation, held again in Rouen, as Savigny doesn’t have a fixed home. And there was a big surprise as Rouen was beaten twice (7-4 and 7-5).
At that point, you could say Savigny had gained depth and pitching, but we remember these games took place after Rouen won the B European Cup. Fatigue, poor preparation, hard to say. Savigny entered the playoffs in first place, allowing them to face the young Rochelais, who were experiencing this level of competition in the playoffs for the first time.
This upcoming weekend will see the first matchups, then the third game will be played on August 20-21, and August 4-5 if necessary.
We’ve already introduced the contenders in the playoff presentation. The strengths of both teams haven’t changed.
Resilience
Rouen is resilient and has shown its ability to turn around a game that seemed completely lost. Savigny has shown its growing power and maturity both in offense and defense. The number of double plays testifies to this quiet strength.
Depth
The pitchers are all in form or can be quickly replaced if they underperform. No team has real concerns about this aspect of the game.
The Bat
If there is any difference, it will be in this area. The Lions have a very reliable line-up up to the 7th hitter and know how to string hits together. They methodically fill the bases and then bring in the runs. Rouen is less consistent but can pull off doubles, triples, or even home runs that can shift the momentum.
Leadership
Boris March certainly wants to make his mark on club history and aims to complete the triple (France Challenge, European Cup, and French Championship) in his first year in charge. On the Savigny side, the fighting spirit and winning mentality are strong, fueled by the fact they haven’t won this competition since 2010 and that nothing beats a French Championship title to secure a field. The coaching is more comprehensive as the team is strongly united.
We’ll be back at the end of the week with the editorial team’s predictions for the final.
Photo credits: Savigny – D. Corre, Rouen – Glenn Gervot
