Paris (AFP)

Quack for Clermont: six days after struggling to beat Stade Toulouse, reduced to thirteen, the Auvergnats unscrewed in Bayonne (21-19) on Saturday during the second day of Top 14, marked by a first victory for the 2019 French champion against La Rochelle (39-23).

For his debut, Bordeaux-Bègles, leader of the 2019-2020 season stopped in March due to the health crisis, for his part struggled to defeat the catchy Brivists (25-20).

The Clermontois faced a better organized Bayonnaise team, which managed to pass them back in front at the end of the match thanks to a third try from the Basques, scored by Maxime Delonca.

The "Jaunards" seemed to have made the difference after a successful first period and a try, their third, scored by Tavite Veredamu with nearly 15 minutes from the bell.

Franck Azéma's team, which had already shown two faces against Toulouse, did not prepare well for its quarter-final of the European Cup, 100% French, scheduled in a week against Racing 92.

- Kolbe shines -

For Toulouse, on the other hand, the frustrating defeat in Auvergne seems digested.

The 2019 French champions had come close to creating the feat at the Michelin stadium.

The test at the last minute refused to Romain Ntamack, guilty of having retained the ball while he was on the ground, had allowed the Clermontois to push a big sigh of relief.

Frustrated, the Rouge et Noir moved forward on Saturday and escaped the trap set by La Rochelle, which had offered Toulon's scalp on the first day.

By scoring two tries, including a sumptuous one after having erased three players, the South African world champion Cheslin Kolbe thrilled the 5,000 supporters of the Ernest-Wallon stadium.

Thomas Ramos, decisive passer on the South African racing car's first try, showed his skill in front of the poles by scoring 24 points.

After a controlled first period (20-10), Ugo Mola's men were however jostled by the Maritimes.

Even deprived, in the second half, of the French internationals Pierre Bourgarit, author of a test, and of Grégory Alldritt, the Rochelais remobilized and came back to three points thanks to a converted test from the springbok rear Dyllin Leyds (23- 20).

- Europe in sight -

The effectiveness of Ramos in front of the posts, combined with a test from Sofiane Guitoune two minutes from the end, allowed the Toulouse residents to take shelter.

They chained a nineteenth consecutive game without defeat (18 wins, 1 draw) at home where they have been unbeaten for almost two years and a setback against the neighbor Castres, September 29, 2018 (22-26).

Something to reassure a little eight days of the quarter-final of the European Cup, at home, against the Irish from Ulster, even if the duel against the Rochelais left "a little feeling of unfinished business" to the Coach of three-quarters Toulouse, Clément Poitrenaud.

"Everything was not perfect far from there. We missed the finish in particular. And then we took points a little too easily too," said the former international, suggesting that uncertainty weighed on the presence of the pillar Clément Castets, hit in a shoulder, for the European shock.

Bordeaux-Bègles, whose first match against the French Stadium had been postponed, was scared at home against Brive, returned to two lengths 12 minutes from the end (22-20).

UBB even had to end the game in a numerical inferiority after the expulsion of Seta Tamanivalu, guilty of a ruckus in the neck on a Brivist.

Day 2 ends on Sunday with the Castres-Stade français meetings (7 p.m.) and the Toulon-Lyon shock (9 p.m.).

© 2020 AFP