Paris (AFP)

Kick the English out of Europe: Bordeaux-Bègles, Friday in Bristol against the Bears, and Toulon, Saturday at home in front of the Leicester Tigers, play a place in the European Challenge final.

For the third time in history (2000, 2017 and 2019), the last four will therefore pit two English teams against two Top 14 teams: in 2019, Clermont who dominated La Rochelle in the final (36-16) .

There were also six 100% French finals in the competition (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2012 and 2019).

Rebelotte after a break of a few months due to the pandemic?

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For the UBB, the half goes through Semi

On the side of the UBB, the task will be complicated on the ground of the Bears.

And not only because the Bordo-Béglais will find Semi Radradra, their Fijian blaster from last season.

"We are not playing Radradra, we are playing Bristol!", Tempered Gironde manager Christophe Urios.

"He's a player to be muzzled. But I have my little idea!"

The two teams have only met twice in the Challenge: it was in 1999 and, at the time, Bordeaux-Bègles and Bristol had each won their home match (27-19 victory for the Bears, 28-14 of the UBB).

"The semi-final in Bristol is going to be a huge test for us," admitted captain Jefferson Poirot, who dreams of leading Bordeaux-Bègles to the first European final in its history.

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Toulon for a first?

After having released the Scarlets (11-6) in the quarterfinals, the RCT, best team of the season in Challenge, therefore receives the Tigers.

With a gauge of 5,000 people in Mayol, announced the Var club.

Charles Ollivon's teammates are the only undefeated team in the competition and have shown their ambitions by playing the blow to the full from the start: with seven straight wins, spectacular successes (50-6 against Bayonne in the pool, in particular), 26 tests but also - and above all - a lot of solidity.

Toulon thus has the best rate of successful tackles (88%) and only the Cardiff Blues (14.8) missed on average fewer tackles per game than the French club (16.3).

In the opposite camp, with players such as Dan Cole, Ellis Genge, Ben Youngs, Manu Tuilagi, Jonny May or George Ford, the English nevertheless have arguments to make.

"It's a fantastic opportunity. Europe is very important for us, for the club, for the players", underlined Tom Youngs, captain of the Tigers never yet titled in Challenge after two successes in European Cup (2001, 2002).

Finalist of the Challenge twice, in 2010 and 2012, Toulon, he is "ready to write a new page in the history of the club".

Program of the semi-finals of the European Challenge:

Friday

(8:45 p.m.) Bristol - Bordeaux-Bègles

Saturday

(9 p.m.) Toulon - Leicester

Final on the weekend of October 16, 17 and 18

© 2020 AFP