Paris (AFP)

Toulon and Bordeaux-Bègles are very close to validating their ticket for the quarter-finals of the European Challenge after their new success, respectively with the London Irish (26-20) and against Agen (33-6), on Saturday, during the 4th day.

The Varois, winners on Saturday, keep in pool 2 (18 pts) a small mattress ahead of the Scarlets (14 pts), which strangled Bayonne (46-5) in the evening. Almost guaranteed to get one of the three best second places, they will compete for the Welsh on their land first place on the next day in early January.

The UBB, winner of Agen on Friday, is also a priori guaranteed to get at least a jumpstop of best second but will aim for the qualification and the head of pool 3 against its nearest chaser, Edinburgh one point behind (16 pts), at the next meeting. It will however have the advantage of receiving.

Castres, Friday's winner of the Enisei-STM Russians (22-10), is worse off in Pool 1 (13 pts), a priori condemned to win twice, against the Dragons (15 pts) or Worcester (10 pts), to hope to see the quarters.

In Pool 4, Brive (9 pts) still has a little hope of qualification after his success against the Zebre (24-10), unlike Stade Français (5 pts), beaten at home (18-16) on Saturday evening by Bristol (19 pts).

The Parisians have nevertheless delivered a fairly interesting part in the content for their maintenance mission in the championship, which will continue next weekend against Pau, whose victory (34-29) in Pool 5 against Cardiff is a priori insufficient. The Béarnais remain behind the Welsh (13 pts against 10) in a pool dominated by Leicester (18 pts).

© 2019 AFP