LIVESTREAM France: Toulouse Ours @ Nice Dauphins, May 6, 19:00 CET (7 pm, 1 pm EDT)
The Toulouse Ours (5-2) will be looking to solidify their second place in the French D1 Elite Championship league’s South conference and avenge an earlier season loss when they pay a visit to the Nice Dauphins (4-4) with two games left in the 2023 regular season.
This is the second meeting of the season between these two as Nice handed the Ours a 13-6 loss earlier in the year.
Toulouse is coming off three straight wins after beating the Grenoble Centaures 16-14, the Grizzlys Catalans 35-34 and the Aix Argonautes 7-0. They had started the 2023 season by beating the Argonautes 17-7 and Centaures 40-2, before tying the Grizzlys 21-21, dropping a 13-6 decision to the Dauphins and losing 27-0 to the Marseilles Blue Stars.
The Dauphins staged an upset a week ago beating the conference-leading Marseilles Blue Stars 12-10. They had opened their year with a 36-3 shellacking of the Centaures before losing to the Grizzlys 20-15 but then beat Toulouse 13-6 and the Argonautes 24-7. However, they could not get by the Grizzlys in the second encounter losing again, this time by a score of 10-6 and then lost 24-14 to Marseilles and 28-23 to Grenoble before stunning the Blue Stars.
This is the Dauphins first season back in France’s top division since 2017 and they are led by national team quarterback Sullivan Silverio and linebacker Benjamin Touati who heads up a defense that is also fairly stingy having given up only 13.5 points a game.
The Toulouse offense has been solid behind the play of former Army quarterback Tony Brown. He has wide receiver Nemieceo Loureiro and French national team wideout Pierre Hilderald to throw to. Brown relies on his legs as much as his arm so he can cause problems once he gets to the second level.
Statistically, these two teams are evenly matched. Both offenses have struggled and are averaging just under 18 points a game while giving up 13.5.
With two games to go in the season and wild card playoffs looming, this is a crucial game for both teams.
Toulouse Ours @ Nice Dauphins, May 6, 19:00 CET (7 pm, 1 pm EDT)