Toulouse (AFP)
Lyon inflicted on Toulouse, deprived of all its internationals, its first defeat at home in two years (16-7) Saturday during a 6th day marked by the seizure of power of Clermont, author of an offensive festival against Pau ( 50-29).
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Toulouse, the stop
In 2018-2019, Stade Toulousain certainly had fewer internationals selected at Marcoussis than this season.
But in his long road to a triumphant title, he had fueled during these periods of doubloons, taking advantage of the absence of the executives to grow his young generation, remained undefeated during the autumn tests and the Six Nations Tournament.
The Toulouse liners will not do as well this season: against Lyon, they fell on a wall (16-7).
Harmless for more than an hour, dominated in the rucks by a LOU perfectly in place defensively, Stade Toulousain suffered its first setback at home since Castres (26-22) at the end of September 2018. Either the end of an impressive series of 20 matches without defeat.
Deprived of 7 French internationals and Cheslin Kolbe, insufficiently recovered from a knee hit to the left flank in Brive, Toulouse lacked inspiration and suffered a setback after 4 straight wins.
"We know that we are going to have six very complicated weeks," said coach Ugo Mola with reference to the wider international window.
Applied and domineering, with a Josua Tuisova author of his 6th try in as many matches, the Lyonnais managed a big blow and confirmed their rise in speed, they who had started the season badly by losing at home against Racing.
By aligning a 4th game in a row without failure (3 wins and a draw), they temporarily climb to 3rd place.
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Full box for Clermont
This Lyon coup also benefits Clermont, new leader thanks to the offensive bonus snatched after the siren against Pau.
In a duel between teams in good shape, the test festival (11 in all) turned to the advantage of the Auvergnats, put into orbit by Camille Lopez.
The opener showed vista by scoring the bonus try and with a kicking game for himself followed by a superb pass for Japanese star Kotaro Matsushima, who signs his first two tries in France.
After the failure in Bayonne (21-19) followed by elimination in the quarter-finals of the European Cup, Franck Azéma's team seemed to have fallen into line, an impression confirmed by the absence of Clermontois in the list of the XV of France.
But since then, the ASM has chained three victories with the trifle of 16 registered tries!
The last team to have beaten it, Racing 92 recovered from its cruel defeat in the European Cup final by winning on the edge of the Stade Français (27-25).
The versatile half Antoine Gibert scored the penalty of the win after the siren after a confused action.
Stade Français lost at home to their neighbor for the third consecutive season.
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Agen grinds black
Last in the standings, Agen hoped to win against Bayonne, theoretical rival for the maintenance, his first victory of the season.
Alas, the SUA was weighed down from the start by the test from Joseva Ravouvou (4th) and especially the red card from Victor Moreaux (8th).
He lost (26-15) for the 6th time in as many games and burned a cartridge in the fight for maintenance.
His trainer Christophe Laussucq is threatened.
On the other hand, all is well for Rowing (8th), with a balanced record (3 wins, 3 losses) and which has no regrets for having overlooked the trip to Lyon (defeat 62-10) .
The other club in the red zone is Castres (13th), deprived of competition for a month by the Covid-19 but which regained its strength at the same time as the majority of its workforce on Friday in Toulon.
Insufficient to win (19-6) but the CO, while leveling off for a period with the RCT, saw the end of the tunnel.
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