Chambery vs Perigourdin

Both sides entered Round 2 under pressure after losing on the opening weekend — Chambéry 35-28 at Rennes, Périgueux 20-25 at home to Massy — and the stakes were heightened by the memory of May's playoff quarter-final, which Chambéry won 34-13 at the same venue.

The home side started with intent. Fly-half Moreno slotted a penalty in the 4th minute to open the scoring, and although Raffy replied with one of his own for Périgueux in the 11th, Chambéry's back three took over. Winger Rasaku crossed in the 14th minute, and new Romanian full-back Hickley Vaovasa followed a minute later with the first of his two tries. Moreno converted both.

Chambéry's third try came through Smiler in the 27th minute, stretching the lead to 22-3. Périgueux hit back through lock Lebas in the 33rd (converted by Raffy, 22-10), but Chambéry added two more scores before the break — a penalty from Moreno in the 36th and a try from Fijian forward Turagaca in the 39th. Moreno's conversion made it 32-10 at half-time.

Vaovasa scored his second within two minutes of the restart, racing through off the kick-off to make it 37-10. The match briefly tightened when Chambéry lost David and Lubin to yellow cards (48', 56'), and Périgueux prop Falatea — who had just come on — took full advantage with a try in the 49th minute. Raffy's conversion cut it to 37-17.

But Chambéry's numerical disadvantage did not last. Flanker Lebian scored in the 67th minute and Beaudaux added a seventh try in the 78th. In between, Falatea completed his own brace for Périgueux in the 66th, converted by Raffy. Dayral landed both late conversions for Chambéry to set the final score at 51-24.

Vaovasa's try two minutes into the second half. Chambéry were already 22 points clear at the break, but the Romanian full-back's score immediately after the restart extinguished any hopes Périgueux had of mounting a fightback. The visitors did score twice while Chambéry were down to 14 men after David's yellow card, but the damage was done.

Hickley Vaovasa (Chambéry) — The Romanian international full-back scored two tries (16', 42') and was a constant threat from deep. A player-of-the-match performance on his second appearance for the club.

Rasaku (Chambéry) — The Fijian winger opened the scoring in the 14th minute and troubled the Périgueux defence throughout with his pace.

Falatea (Périgueux) — A bright spot for the visitors. The replacement prop scored two tries (49', 66') either side of his introduction, making the most of Chambéry's yellow-card absences.

Chambéry's seven tries to three (51-24 final, 32-10 at half-time) reflects a dominant attacking display. The Savoyards surpassed the 48 points they put on Bourg-en-Bresse in last season's home opener. Attendance was reported at 3,500 by Le Dauphiné Libéré. Périgueux have now lost all five matches at the Chambéry Savoie Stadium since their promotion to Nationale in 2023, picking up just one defensive bonus point across those visits.

Chambéry's bonus-point win lifts them from 10th to a mid-table position after two rounds. Périgueux remain on one point after narrow defeats (20-25 vs Massy on J1, 24-51 here). The SOC travel to Bourgoin for a Savoie derby on Saturday 5 September (19:00). Périgueux host Rennes on Saturday 5 September (18:00) as they look to open their winning account.

Chambéry under new head coach Horacio San Martin responded precisely as required after a disappointing opening day. The attacking shapes that showed promise at Rennes clicked into gear, and the Fijian-Romanian axis in the backline looks dangerous. Périgueux competed in patches but remain winless at this venue and need to tighten up defensively before the visit of Rennes.