Paris (AFP)

Toulouse has not won in Clermont for 18 years and the series continues, but the 2019 French champions, reduced to thirteen, almost turned the situation around in an insane match on Sunday at the end of the 1st day of the Top 14.

POSTER: Clermont, victory trembling

Eleven penalties conceded, in the first period alone, a yellow card for their captain Julien Marchand and above all two red cards for Iosefa Tekori (nudge) and Richie Arnold (dangerous tackle) ... The Toulouse people paid dearly for their indiscipline in front of the 10,000 or so spectators at the Marcel-Michelin stadium.

But even reduced to thirteen, they fought like lions managing to take the advantage (26-30) after being led by 18 lengths at the break (23-5).

The Clermontois scored a third try through George Moala (70), transformed by Camille Lopez (33-30).

But they came very close to a first home defeat against Toulouse since 2002, a try having been refused to Romain Ntamack at the very end of the match.

PERFORMANCE: Racing 92 takes a bite out of LOU

The duel promised to be tight in the Rhône between Lyon and Racing 92, respectively second and third in the 2019-2020 season stopped in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.

At the break, the LOU led by a short header (16-13) but Racing raised its level of play after returning from the locker room.

He scored two tries in ten minutes (Louis Dupichot, Finn Russell) and was able to count on Maxime Machenaud, efficient in front of the poles.

Lyon got closer, thanks to a converted test from Josua Tuisova less than 20 minutes from the bell, without going further (27-23).

The Rhone club remained on a series of fourteen consecutive victories in its stadium, its last defeat dating on March 2, 2019 against Castres (25-13).

THE SURPRISE: Pau turns off Montpellier

Between Montpellier with its armada of internationals and the Pau Section, which fought for maintenance last season, the balance tipped towards the MHR, whose last home defeat dated February 16, 2019 against Perpignan (28-10).

At the break, the Montpellier seemed to have accomplished a good part of the way (23-10) thanks to two tries and the kicks of the South African world champion Handré Pollard.

But that was without counting on the obstinacy of the Section, much more solid in melee and led by its young twirling and creative opener Antoine Hastoy.

The MHR then no longer scored a single point and went out in stoppage time on a penalty attempt awarded to Pau (26-23), after a match interrupted a few minutes by a power failure, barely after starting.

THE PLAYER: Ihaia West sets the course for La Rochelle

With 24 points, the New Zealand opener from La Rochelle was the main architect of his team's victory in front of the RCT (29-15).

He managed five penalties, two conversions and even signed an opportunistic try.

At halftime (19-6), the 28-year-old, selected with the New Zealand under-20s and then the Maoris All Blacks, had scored 100% of the Maritimes points.

Only one other player brought points to Stade Rochelais, Arthur Retière, author of a test at the end of the second period (69th) which made it possible to definitively distance the Toulonnais without a solution.

THE STATEMENT

"We're not going to hang ourselves after Day 1, but that's for sure worrying."

From Christophe Laussucq, manager of Agen, beaten at home by Castres (26-22).

NUMBERS

16: the number of minutes played by the Japanese Kotaro Matsushima, the flagship rookie of Clermont, left on injury (right leg)

19: the points difference between Brive and Bayonne (42-23), the most important of the matches of the first day

100: the number of matches played by the double All Black world champion Victor Vito, in the Stade Rochelais jersey, which he joined in 2016.

© 2020 AFP