Nanterre (AFP)

Author of a feat at the end of the suspense against the Saracens, Racing 92 has offered the right to dream of a first continental star.

In the final, he will face Exeter, a novice at this level, which brought down Stade Toulouse.

There will therefore be no 100% French final as in 2015, when Toulon defeated Clermont to afford a hat-trick.

But Racing 92, after having brought down the Sarries (19-15), will have the opportunity, on October 17 in Bristol (England), to rewrite its own history, he who experienced failures in his two finals, in 2016 and 2018.

He will leave with an advantage in terms of experience since the Chiefs, who muzzled Toulouse (28-18), were playing their first European Cup semi-final.

But the Exeter team are leaders in the English Championship and have been ruthless with the Reds and Blacks.

"Toulouse or Exeter, it's like choosing between the plague and cholera," said Racing 92 scrum captain and half Teddy Iribaren after the masterful reversal of the situation operated by his team against the Sarries.

In a padlocked match, worthy of a game of chess, the Watford club seemed to be heading towards a fifth final in seven editions when Alex Goode, who again very well replaced the captain of the XV of the Rose Owen Farrell (suspended) , managed three new penalties to widen the gap in the second half (9-15).

But that was before the Argentine sky and white club winger Juan Imhoff scored the only try of the game, four minutes from time.

The unpredictable Scottish opener Finn Russell launched the decisive action, with a clever kick, to find the vivacious Virimi Vakatawa.

Then he picked up the ball to serve Imhoff, who finished the job like a "soccer number nine".

Cruel outcome for the Saracens whose very defensive strategy collapsed.

Winner of three of the last four editions, the English club hoped to afford a last-ditch before going down to the second division (due to several breaches of the salary cap).

But the Racing players, abused in the aerial game and authors of several hand errors that could have cost them dearly (Simon Zebo, Teddy Thomas and Camille Chat), took up the challenge in closed scrum and above all knew how to remain patient.

"When we go looking for this kind of meeting, it means that the team is very strong mentally," said Laurent Travers.

The Racing 92 coach won a European Cup title as a player with Brive in 1997, but not yet as a coach.

A new opportunity presents itself.

- Toulouse falls on a bone -

Stade Toulousain, which holds the record for titles (4) in the competition with Leinster, will have to wait a little longer before it can run for a fifth crown.

The players of Ugo Mola, impressive against the Irish Ulster (36-8) in the quarter, this time fell on a bone.

For his discovery of the last European square, Exeter rose in power throughout the game and annihilated the offensives of the red and black club.

Toulouse had started in the best way, however, holding the ball and occupying the field to put the English under pressure.

Finalists in the last four championships in England, but crowned only in 2017, the Chiefs seemed almost in their little shoes for their first semi-final in the "big" European Cup.

But they freed themselves by scoring two tries in the first period by Harry Williams and Sam Simmons, also impeccable in front of the poles and elected man of the match with his thirteen points.

The two tries scored by Exeter in the second half, again by Williams and then by Joe Simmons were fatal to Toulouse, who reacted at the end of the match by Matthis Lebel.

Too late.

© 2020 AFP