Bristol (Royaume-Uni) (AFP)

Approximations, choix hasardeux, fébrilité... Remplacé après une première période cauchemardesque, le demi de mêlée Teddy Iribaren a illustré les difficultés du Racing 92, battu samedi en finale de la Coupe d'Europe par les Anglais d'Exeter (31-27).

Sorti par Laurent Travers dès la mi-temps, Iribaren a quitté la pelouse la tête basse et la mine des mauvais jours. Il faut avouer que le natif de Toulouse a passé un début de match catastrophique, avant d'arrêter les frais et de céder sa place à Maxime Machenaud.

"He felt a pain in the adductors, from the kickoff", tried to justify his trainer, at the microphone of France Televisions, deploring "small faults which cause great damage".

"It's always difficult to make a change too early because you can be in danger behind," he added.

Maxime Machenaud had left the substitute chasuble in the 20th minute and was ready to come and straighten the bar.

Proud, the 30-year-old scrum-half asked his coach for a few more minutes before leaving his teammates, down 14-5 at this point in the game.

Granted.

And the former player of Brive, Tarbes and Montpellier therefore stayed a little longer and was able to allow the Ile-de-France residents to pick up the score despite a complicated start to the match.

Because before that, Iribaren just went through it.

From the second minute, his kick, which did not find the touch, set the tone.

It was going to be a day without.

In 40 minutes, the scrum-half was penalized three times, conceded two turnovers and missed two tackles.

Not quite what he had accustomed the Top 14 followers to.

- Touch -

Worse, his passes usually so assured have put in difficulty his teammates, Finn Russell in the lead.

The Scotsman was certainly not at the party in Bristol but it took him a lot of luck when, after ten minutes, a "sausage" from Iribaren put him in danger in his own in-goal.

Between hazardous passes and unnecessary risk-taking, like this touch quickly played (6th) when he was alone, Iribaren simply missed his final.

Hard for a player who has often carried Racing 92 on his shoulders.

Often, he went to the front to defend his teammates at a press conference.

With his tough character, he knows how to speak to journalists, with punchlines and flirtatious smiles.

But, at 30, he still refused to pretend.

Whole, he knew how to master this ardor which had played tricks on him at the beginning of his career, at the Toulouse training center in particular where Iribaren refused to play the liners behind more powerful numbers nine (the All Black Byron Kelleher, Sébastien Bézy, Jean-Marc Doussain ...).

But the one who is part of the trio of Ile-de-France captains therefore let Machenaud finish the match.

Less brilliant, more regular, the former metronome of the Blues (31 years old, 38 caps) did the job against Exeter.

Cleanly.

No frills.

He scored a penalty and took part in the Ile-de-France climb by putting the Hauts-de-Seine club in the direction of travel.

And Racing 92, led 21-12 at the break, came to die at the feet of the Chiefs with four small points.

Too bad for Teddy.

© 2020 AFP