Nanterre (AFP)
Five points, no injuries or card: Racing 92 has well negotiated the reception of the Saracens team bis (30-10), weakened and harmless defenders, Sunday at the Arena, and ideally starts his campaign Cup Europe in the hottest pool.
The mountain gave birth to a mouse: the shock glimpsed from the draw did not take place given the very special context surrounding the Sarries, heavily sanctioned in England for circumventing the rules of the salary cap and came to Paris without their English internationals, finalists of the World Cup two weeks ago and rested (Owen Farrell, Eliott Daly, Maro Itoje, George Kruis, Billy and Mako Vunipola, Jamie George).
Racing, beaten in the final of the 2016 edition by Londoners, does not care. This enhanced success was unhoped for a few weeks ago when the Saracens, crowned three times over the last four European seasons, seemed untouchable and that the Hauts-de-Seine club was struggling in the Top 14. The bonus allows him to join the Munster, winner of the Ospreys (32-13) at Swansea, at the head of the dreaded Pool 4.
- Russell catches up -
The match did not have the desired flavor: neither in the stands, the two clubs not being famous for their fervent public, nor on the ground, where the Sarries bis, all but impressive, only approached one only once per period of the opposing line, without success. And if Ben Spencer had not managed a penalty midway (25th), the champions of Europe and England would have reached the break on a zero on the scoreboard.
Their only try came from a ball snatched by Nick Tompkins at Finn Russell and flattened by Alex Lozowski (51st). But the sky and white opener caught up at once by feigning a pass to deceive the English defense and register the third try of his own (55th).
Moreover, Racing, serious, had done the work in the first act not to gamberger Maxime Machenaud certainly missed a penalty in his strings (3rd) but quickly caught up on the second attempt (6th), then in sending Virimi Vakatawa to the test (10th) of a chalk pass. A first try for which it is appropriate to credit also Baptiste Chouzenoux, who stole the previous key to the English.
Vakatawa was again decisive in placing Teddy Thomas in orbit for the second try (26th). The winger narrowly managed to avoid the touch to score in the corner and give the Racing a comfortable lead at half-time (18-3).
After the completion of Russell, Racing finished the job thanks to Wenceslas Lauret, who broke away from his maul to register the bonus test (65th). The Munster, in a week, should offer a much tougher opposition than the Sarries reserve.
© 2019 AFP