Soursan saw off Rouen 23-13 in the National tournament on Thursday evening. The home side took control early and refused to let the visitors back into the contest. For those watching, it was a performance built on structure rather than flair. By then, the pattern was clear enough.
Rouen came into the fixture with decent recent form, including that 25-0 win over Tarb Pyrénées back in April. They looked to impose themselves from the opening whistle. Soursan, meanwhile, had shown vulnerability in their last outing against Chambéry. To be fair, this time they held their nerve.
The scoreline tells only part of the story. Soursan's defence set the tone and stayed compact throughout. Rouen found space in patches but could not convert pressure into points consistently. That is often how these matches are decided — not by sweeping dominance, but by who keeps their shape when it counts.
Looking at the recent record, Soursan have not won since their clash with Nice in April. This result breaks that run. Rouen, on the other hand, had been building momentum with back-to-back victories. They left with their tails down, no question.
What matters now is what this means in the table. Soursan move up, Rouen drop. The gap between them shifts. It is not a statement win, but it is one that could prove crucial come the business end of the season.