Nanterre (AFP)

Pro and anti-European? Racing, Clermont and Toulouse, who are particularly fond of the European Cup, have started the group stage with promising successes, unlike La Rochelle, Lyon and Montpellier, beaten during the first day from Friday to Sunday.

. Racing and Clermont blaze

What credit should be granted to the improved success of Racing against Saracens, holders of the title (30-10)? The club Hauts-de-Seine has certainly achieved "a full match", as pointed out by his captain Henry Chavancy. But the Londoners arrived at the Arena without their English internationals, left at rest, and more concerned about the English championship, where they were sanctioned with a heavy withdrawal of points (35), than by the continental event . Muscled offensively, they had nothing of the scarecrow of these last seasons.

This is not the problem of Racing, which has been full of points and now turns to Munster, another rival for the qualification in Pool 4, the highest. If Virimi Vakatawa, untenable and still the author of an essay, does not descend from his cloud Limerick here, the Sky and White could perhaps get rid of two competitors for the European title.

Clermont, finalist 3 times in 5 years (2013, 2015, 2017) but absent last year, has for his return also grabbed the 5 points by performing an offensive festival against the Harlequins (53-21). Seven tests, no offensive bonus left to Londoners and executives (Peceli Yato, Alivereti Raka, Camille Lopez) in great shape: the ASM started in a rush and was also reassured, a week after passing through in Toulouse (34-8).

. Toulouse gets out of the trap

Reassured by this success and the return of his international franaçis, the champion of France Toulouse just as well took the European turn by imposing himself in pain in Gloucester (25-20). A valuable outside success for the qualifying race and beyond, with the best group stage teams guaranteed to host the final in Marseille.

Stade Toulousain, semi-finalist last spring for the first time since 2011, is still far but does not hide its ambitions: his young group has gained experience and his hen seems tailor-made (Gloucester, Connacht, Montpellier) , unlike the previous season when he had eradicated himself with the Leinster from the death hen.

. The flops: Montpellier and La Rochelle disappoint

On the other hand, the other three French clubs have disappointed in varying degrees. The least to blame is Lyon even if his manager Pierre Mignoni had promised that the LOU, for his second European adventure, was going to give full after the zero point of last season.

But the Lyonnais, despite a good second period, gave in Northampton (25-14). Nothing catastrophic but in a pool where the Leinster, finalist 2019 and 2018 champion, has as expected is full of points against Treviso (33-19), they grilled a joker.

Like Montpellier, narrowly beaten at Connacht (23-20), the weakest opponent of a pool 5 which Toulouse is the favorite. The MHR, very undisciplined and awkward, will have to do much better next week against Gloucester on pain of then compete for butter the competition.

This is already heavily compromised for La Rochelle, usually impregnable or almost at home and which fell heavily at the entrance to Exeter (31-12). The Rochelais were unrealistic, like Ihaia West not on his plate, unlike very opportunistic English who leave with a successful and hit a great blow in the pool 2, fairly homogeneous.

© 2019 AFP