Monaco 7 saw off Stade Rochelais 7 by 26-17 in the Super Sevens tournament on Friday evening. The hosts opened their campaign with a statement victory, capitalising on a string of tries that kept the visitors pinned back all night. Stade Rochelais had come into the match with mixed recent form, having suffered a heavy defeat to Bordeaux Beggles just the day before.
Monaco arrived in confident mood, having won all three of their previous fixtures this month. They opened with a 21-0 dismantling of Section Paloise 7 before posting victories over Toulon and Racing 92. Stade Rochelais, meanwhile, had shown flashes of promise with a win against Vannes but also endured that 24-17 loss to Bordeaux. The history between them adds an edge to any encounter, and Monaco made it count.
The match itself was a showcase of Monaco's attacking intent. They found a way back into it when Stade Rochelais threatened, but their defensive structure held firm. Stade Rochelais were reduced to ten when it mattered, things came to a head in the closing stages, and Monaco ran riot to seal the victory. The scoreboard told the story of a team that had not lost since their last outing.
What the result means in the wider context remains to be seen. Monaco now sit top of the table with maximum points after one round of fixtures. Stade Rochelais occupy fourth place with zero games and zero points — the season has just started and the table says nothing yet. Monaco's performance suggests they have the quality to challenge for silverware this season.