Paris (AFP)
It is Christmas after the hour: Racing 92 and Lyon won a large and improved victory against the promoted, Brive and Bayonne, on Saturday during the first matches of the 12th day of the Top 14.
The river scores in favor of the two cadors do not have exactly the same value: the Parisians impressed to end a year and a half of invincibility of the Corréziens in their lair (44-20), while the Lyonnais pushed the Basques (52-9) who have not advanced for two months.
Rowing thus recorded a 9th straight game without a win, European championship and Challenge combined. Far, far from its thundering start to the season (5 successes in the first 7 days).
The Lyonnais, who have experienced a similar slump - 2 victories in the last 8 games -, start from the front and take the opportunity to resume at Bordeaux-Bègles the chair of leader they occupied since the start of the season before to abandon it last weekend. The UBB will have to win Sunday in Pau to continue the crossover.
Racing wins its third improved away victory - after Pau and the Stade Français -, which once again shows that it is more comfortable off its bases than at the Arena, where its record is negative (2 wins, 1 draw, 3 losses). The Hauts-de-Seine club takes a leap in the standings while awaiting the results of the competition: from 10th, it goes back to 5th place.
The Brivistes (7th) fall from high: they had not lost at the Stadium since the spring of 2018, 23 straight wins at home!
Jeremy Davidson's players found themselves helpless in the face of the perfectly oiled game of the hinge Finn Russell - Teddy Iribaren, in all the good shots on the six registered trials. Racing may have finally launched its championship.
© 2019 AFP