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L'US Oyonnax se déplace vendredi soir à 21h sur la pelouse des Sale Sharks
Oyonnax coach Christophe Urios has urged his side to end their European Challenge Cup Pool 5 campaign on a high against Italian side Zebre.
Last weekend’s defeat at group winners Gloucester all but ended Oyonnax’s hopes of reaching the quarter-finals.
They retain an outside chance of making the last-eight but need a number of results to go their way as well as securing a bonus-point win themselves.
But, even if the miracle required to advance does not materialise, Urios is proud of the performances of his young side and believes it leaves them with plenty to build on when they return to Top 14 action.
Urios, who is set to join Castres at the end of the season, said: “The competition has served us well, but we know we need to be patient as a young side and our chance will come.
“We do not need to be too down because we have not made the quarter-finals, we can be proud of how we have played and how we have come through some sticky situations.
“We were disappointed with what happened last weekend, there have been some strong words and the best place to make amends is by performing well and finishing the pool stage on a positive note.”
Match Notes
- Oyonnax’s 33-24 win over Zebre earlier this season was the French side’s largest win in Europe and the only time they have ever scored more than 30 points in a match.
- Oyonnax have lost just one of their five home games in the Challenge Cup (D1, W3).
- Zebre’s only away win in European competition (Champions Cup or Challenge Cup) came in France against Brive earlier this season.
- Zebre’s 23-13 win over Brive in round 5 was their second and biggest ever win in European competition.
Zebre, meanwhile, are playing for pride with their own quarter-final dreams already dashed, but they still have a chance of pipping Oyonnax to second place in the final standings with victory in France.
Match Facts
- Oyonnax's 33-24 result over Zebre earlier this season was the French club's largest win in Europe and the only time they have ever scored more than 30 points in a match.
- Oyonnax have lost just one of their five home games in the Challenge Cup (D1, W3)
- Zebre's only away win in European competition came in France against Brive in Round 2.
- Zebre's 23-13 home win against Brive last weekend was their second, and biggest win in European competition.
L'USO s'impose à domicile contre les Zèbres 20 à 3
Oyonnax were left dreaming of what might have been had they nicked one more win, or notched a few bonus points, in Pool 5 after ending up in the runners-up spot to Gloucester with only 16 points.
That is unlikely to give them one of the three best runners-up positions when the Challenge Cup Pools close on Sunday, leaving them just short of qualification in their second season in Europe. With no bonus points from six games they were always on the back foot.
They managed to do the double of Zebre in a dour final game thanks to three tries. They were 10-3 ahead at the break and added two more tries in a second half that saw the Italians lose Valderio Bernabo and Andrea de Marchi to the sin-bin within a minute of each other.
Luciano Orquera had the chance to give Zebre, who were chasing their third win of the campaign, an early lead, but he pulled his shot at goal and then saw Regis Lespinas kick the home side ahead. Lespinas then added the extras to centre Guillaume Bousses 35th minute try.
At the start of the second half Orquera succeeeded where he had failed earlier in the game and brought Zebre back into the contest with a penalty that made in 10-3. But that was all the disappointing Italians could muster on the scoreboard.
Instead it was the ‘Mountain Men’ who turned up the heat on a bitterly cold night an ended with a flourish with tries from South Afircan back row man Pedri Wannenburg and Romanian international flanker Valentin Ursache.
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