Paris (AFP)
The champion of France from Toulouse, beaten by Bayonne (20-10), leaves qualifying places for the final phase while Racing 92, which made only a bite of La Rochelle (49-0), climbs on the podium, Saturday during the 17th day of the Top 14.
The Red and Black fell into the Basque trap: too unruly, the Toulousains missed their match in Bayonne. As a result, it is Rowing that smiles on Saturday evening. Rowing has given itself some air in the fight for maintenance and is now in 9th place, seven points ahead of the red zone.
If Toulouse stalls, Clermont, vice-champion of France, revived in Agen (32-15) thanks to a second period of fire and a double from Peceli Yato (51st, 74th).
The Jaunards are now 6th, one point ahead ... Toulouse. For the SUA, on the other hand, it is funny soup: the Agenais, who have not won at home since October, are now 13th.
But THE good operation of the day is to be credited to Racing 92. Untenable, unplayable, impressive, the Ciel et Blanc have crunched very amorphous Rochelais.
An XXL performance for Laurent Travers' men at the end of a controlled match from start to finish. With seven registered trials, Racing is overthrowing the Maritimes from the podium.
In the other meetings of the day, Pau put an end to a series of seven consecutive defeats by coming to the end of Montpellier (19-15).
Sunday, the undeniable leader of the championship, Bordeaux-Bègles, receives Castres, the ex-club of his trainer Christophe Urios, while the Italian Sergio Parisse will face the Stade Français for the first time in his career, in the jersey of the RCT, after fourteen seasons with the Roses.
© 2020 AFP