Paris (AFP)

The LOU takes back the hair of the beast. Lyon, which marked time in 2020, broke the good series of Toulon (27-12), and with the bonus, Saturday to perhaps regain the lead of the Top 14 while waiting for the high-risk trip from Bordeaux-Bègles to Toulouse Sunday (4:50 p.m.).

Originality of this day, the return to their clubs of 14 internationals, among the extended list of coach Fabien Galthié to prepare for the Six Nations Tournament, was fairly discreet since very few were lined up from the start.

. Lyon hits hard

"Furious" of the setback inflicted by Northampton (36-24) in the European Cup with five tries conceded at Gerland, the coach of LOU Pierre Mignoni "found (s) on team" against Toulon who presented himself with the club label in shape after his streak of six undefeated matches, including a draw in Toulouse (13-13).

The relief was palpable also with its opener Jonathan Wisniewski at the microphone of Canal +: "It does us good because this European Cup, we did not negotiate very well and it gave us more doubts than certainties. "

Faced with a name from the Top 14, this improved success, signed by the New Zealand rear Toby Arnold, with a stick on the three tests, is good for morale. But also for the classification: provisional leader with 49 pts, Lyon can regain power at the end of this 14th day, except performance of Bordeaux-Bègles (2nd, 47 pts) in Toulouse, in the clash between the autumn champion and the reigning champion.

. La Rochelle on the podium

Relieved from the European Cup, the Stade Rochelais doubles Toulon (5th, 36 pts) and climbs on the podium (3rd, 37 pts) thanks to its success with two faces against Montpellier (35-30).

A hat-trick from Maritime winger Arthur Retière, now top scorer in the Top 14 with 7 tries, made it possible to erase a match to the advantage of the MHR, who scored the first points (8th, 6-0) , the first try (19th, 11-3) and could even have come back at the end.

Too fair to win at the finish, the players of Xavier Garbajosa, for his return to La Rochelle, managed to snatch the defensive bonus and deprived his old club of the offensive bonus. Two points that could make the difference at the time of the accounts, on the evening of the 26th day.

. In Castres, "we play the maintenance"

Castres and his Argentinian technician Mauricio Reggiardo had to face the facts. Ground 27-0 by a Racing 92 team, however deprived of five internationals (Chat, Le Roux, Palu, Vakatawa, Thomas), held in Nice with the XV of France to prepare the "Crunch" against England, the CO ( 12th, 23 pts) is only one step ahead of the new Agen barragiste (13th) who won on the wire in Bayonne (23-22) for the first time in six days.

Relentless observation by Reggiardo, sounded after the meeting: "Now we know what we are playing, the maintenance." Hard return to reality for the champion of France 2018 that his trainer considered "still in the blow to finish in the six" before the match.

The Ciel et Blancs, who already had the bonus in hand at the break (22-0), went back to 4th place thanks in particular to an unexpected reinforcement: their eccentric Scottish opener Finn Russell. During the maneuver on the first Ile-de-France test, the N.10 was temporarily dismissed from the XV du Chardon for violation of the "team's rules of life" and could miss the entire Tournament.

. The Stade Français last

Consequence of Agen's first victory in ages, Stade Français, beaten in Clermont on Saturday (29-19), plummets to 14th place (20 pts) which he will therefore have left only a short day after his convincing success against Toulouse (30-18).

The Parisians have however confirmed their awakening since the departure of Heyneke Meyer and the history of the match would undoubtedly have been different if, after an early first try, their young winger Lester Etien, one of the 14 players released by the staff of the Blues, n 'had not let the ball pass between his hands when the path to in-goal was wide open (12th).

© 2020 AFP