Paris (AFP)

The promoted Bayonne, winner at Racing 92 for the resumption, is offered a new challenge with the coming of Clermont, Saturday during the second day of Top 14 in which the Parisians will have to catch up against Castres.

. Bayonne on its way?

Jean-Dauger promises to be hot, Saturday (15:30) in opening, for the reception of the vice-champion of France. Because for its first Top 14 match in its den since the spring of 2017, Rowing has the wind in its sails: after conquering the title of Pro D2 by overthrowing Oyonnax in the semifinal and Brive in the final, the Basque club has done earn his grinta at the Arena, inflating a blow on Racing (24-17).

Find the elite World Cup season, this is the good deal for the promoted, who faces the leaders of their private international, such as Racing or Clermont. But that did not stop the ASM, who had made the best start last season, to dominate La Rochelle (28-10).

Less punctuated by the selections, the Rochelais have no excuse when receiving a stadium French laminated in Lyon (43-9). Especially that they have a revenge to take: the Parisians had made a big blow (27-14) at the end of February to Marcel-Deflandre, a citadel almost impregnable since the rise of the club in 2014 (7 losses in 5 seasons).

. Reaction expected from Racing

This is no longer the case of the Arena, the ultramodern enclosure Racing where visitors have won four times in the last exercise. Coach Laurent Travers wanted two things for this new start, that his players remain masters of them and at home. It's already missed, with two yellow cards that allowed Bayonne to win, and a second failure at La Défense Castres Sunday (12:30) is unthinkable.

Another club defeated at home and who can redeem himself in front of his public, Agen, overtaken by Toulon (44-25), receives Brive in a meeting already essential for the race to maintain. A race in which hopes not to be mixed Pau, winner of Corréziens 33-14 and who goes to Montpellier without pressure.

. In Chaban, two good wines?

In Bordeaux, UBB receives Toulon to confirm its good start against champion Toulouse (30-25). It is a poster between two charismatic managers, Christophe Urios and Patrice Collazo, and two teams in search of redemption: Bordeaux-Bègles hopes to finally play a final phase after having failed again (10th) with the same number of points as the RCT ( 9th), absent from the top 6 for the first time since 2011.

Lyon, semi-finalist of the last two championships, and Toulouse, winner of its 20th Brennus shield in June, logically see further and know that the season will be very long. The LOU, which has few internationals and therefore starts the season without handicap, can take the opportunity to dig a first gap on a rival on the contrary very small (11 international absent, J. Marchand, Aldegheri, Madaule, Placines, Mermoz , Galan injured).

Program

Saturday

(15h30) Bayonne - Clermont

(18h00) Agen - Brive

La Rochelle - French Stadium

Montpellier - Pau

(8:45 pm) Bordeaux-Bègles - Toulon

Sunday September 1st

(12h30) Racing 92 - Castres

(17h05) Lyon - Toulouse

© 2019 AFP