Paris (AFP)

Before giving way to the Six Nations Tournament, the group stage of the European Cup on Sunday delivered its last secrets and the posters for the quarter-finals: on the French side, Clermont will host Racing and Toulouse will host Ulster in early April.

The other two posters will oppose the weekend of April 3, 4 and 5, the Leinster to the Saracens, in a remake of the last final won by the Sarries, and Exeter to Northampton for a 100% English duel.

Two weeks from France-England on the first day of Six Nations, on February 2, five meetings opposed this weekend to French and English clubs. Result: England advantage with three wins to two.

But they are important, the two victories of the residents of the Top 14, which allow Clermont and Toulouse to bring the quarter home.

Saturday, the ASM had done its share of the work by winning in the suburbs of London among the Harlequins, already eliminated (26-19). The Auvergnats then waited to find out their program in the quarter and it was ultimately a Racing defeat that enabled them to welcome Michelin ... the Racingmen.

Sky and Whites who believed Sunday achieve the feat of a victory among the Saracens, champions of Europe and England in title. But the Sarries, endangered after the formalization on Saturday of their administrative relegation for exceeding the salary ceiling, played the right partition at home.

Sentenced to the second division, the Sarries of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje and the Vunipola brothers can therefore again conquer a continental title after those of 2016, 2017 and 2019. They can thus hope to equal the record of four European titles, co- owned by Leinster and Toulouse.

In this paradoxical context, it will be interesting to observe the state of mind and form of the international English Sarries during the Tournament, especially for the Crunch at the Stade de France.

- Change era -

In spring, there will be many teams, wanting to end the era of domination of the Saracens.

Solid at Ernest-Wallon against Gloucester (35-14), the Stade Toulousain is obviously one of them. By taking the offensive bonus with five tries, two of which were signed by Romain Ntamack, Toulouse posted the third best account of this group stage with six wins in six games, and 27 points.

Only Leinster, finalist disappointed last year, with 28 points, and Exeter, with 27 points but a better difference in match points (+81 against +77), do better than Toulouse.

A test, even if not transformed, would have allowed Toulouse to be the second best team and also to secure a semi-final at home in the event of a victory in the quarter. Advantage that will have Leinster and Exeter.

The other two defeats of the French against the English this weekend were more anecdotal. Already eliminated, Lyon cracked at home against Northampton (36-24), ending their campaign with a single victory against Treviso. In two seasons in the European Cup, LOU, second in the Top 14, lost seven out of eight matches and therefore never won against an Anglo-Saxon. La Rochelle let him his tiny hope of qualification fly to Exeter (33-14).

Anecdotal also was the victory of Montpellier against Connacht (35-29), just a good note before the return to reality of the championship.

© 2020 AFP