Paris (AFP)

A narrow success for Racing 92 in Lyon (27-23), a convincing victory for La Rochelle in front of Toulon (29-15) ... The Top 14 has resumed strongly despite the threat of the pandemic which has already caused the postponement of Stade French-UBB.

Racing 92, La Rochelle and Castres therefore join Pau in 1st place - temporary - in the Top 14 standings with four points each.

The preparation had been disrupted by the sword of Damocles of the postponement which weighs on the meetings: Lyonnais, Racingmen or Agenais almost saw their staggered meetings, like the match between Bordeaux-Bègles and the French Stadium, initially scheduled for Friday but postponed "to a later date ", the Parisians being unable to field enough players on the front line.

The matches that have been played have shown that the Top 14 rugby players did not have - yet- the legs: like the superstar Kurtley Beale, not really brilliant and released before the hour mark, Racing 92 has moreover, almost burned his fingers on the LOU's grounds.

The Ciel et Blancs had to wait for the second half and two tries from Louis Dupichot (47th) and Finn Russel (57th) to get rid of catchy Lyonnais failing to be effective.

The Toulonnais, too messy, too undisciplined, were dominated by La Rochelle (29-15).

The RCT fell on the New Zealander Ihaia West not at all to the west, author of twenty-four points by himself (one try, five penalties, two conversions).

The yellow cards of the pillar Emerick Setiano (32nd) and of the center Duncan Paia'aua (35th) certainly did not help but the club of the Rade could never waver the Maritimes, 2nd at the time of the freezing of the season in March.

- Ibitoye and West shine -

In the other meeting of the day, Castres beat Agen on forceps (26-22), the fourth success in a row for Armandie du CO despite a double from the English nugget of AUS Gabriel Ibitoye.

The day before, it was a power cut that welcomed the first points scored in the French league after six months without competition: when Antoine Hastoy, after three minutes of play, scored the first penalty in the first match, 187 days after that of Louis Carbonel for Toulon against the French Stadium (19-18) on March 1, the GGL Stadium was plunged into darkness.

A power cut interrupted the recovery for ten minutes before returning to rugby: the Montpellier Yacouba Camara (16th) scored the first try of the season, the world champion Handré Pollard passed thirteen points ... and the MHR, launched, derailed.

Led 23-10 at the break, Pau never doubted.

Better, the Section, the only Top 14 team to have played three preparation matches, was able to make its freshness speak while taking advantage of the Hérault indiscipline (two yellow cards, twenty penalties against) to punish its host of the day, at the end from the end, while the siren had already sounded (26-23).

The first day of the Top 14 2020-2021 ends Sunday with, in particular, the clash between Clermont and Toulouse, revenge of the last final.

An XXL match, played in front of 10,000 spectators after exemption granted by the Puy-de-Dôme prefecture.

The opportunity for Sébastien Bézy, neo-Clermontois, to give regrets to the Rouge et Noir, his training club that he left this summer.

© 2020 AFP