Toulouse (AFP)

Clermont takes the lead, La Rochelle follows but not Toulouse, helpless without its French internationals and injured executives: here are the main lessons of the 7th day of the Top 14, played from Friday to Sunday.

NUMBERS

2. As the number of consecutive improved victories of the new leader Clermont, or the number of tries registered by the ASM in the last minutes: after Pau (50-29), the Jaunards again finished with a bang in Brive (43 -21).

4. Clermont and his new runner-up La Rochelle, so far little or little penalized by the international window, have won their 4th success in a row.

Stade Rochelais also won outside and with the manner in Pau (35-24), but let the bonus slip in the last quarter of an hour.

10. Like the number of tries inflicted by Bordeaux-Bègles on a team of Agen adrift and who thanked his coaches in the wake (71-5).

The Girondins tied a test record in a Lyon match against Bayonne (62-10).

48. The young Toulouse class (Théo Idjellidaine, Yannick Youyoutte, Dimitri Delibes), launched into the deep end in the absence of the French internationals and many injured executives (Kaino, Elstadt, Ahki, Kolbe) took to the water at the Stadium French, conceding 48 points.

The worst setback for Toulouse since September 2018 in Montpellier (66-15), already with a strongly reshaped team.

MEN

Sébastien Bézy.

The choice of the scrum-half to leave Toulouse, where he was in the shadow of Antoine Dupont, to take over from Morgan Parra in Clermont seems to be bearing fruit.

In Brive, Bézy scored again a double, bringing to 5 the total of his achievements over the last 3 matches!

ASM is leader of the championship and there will be two places to take at the post of N.9 on Monday in the new list of the XV of France, forced to turn ...

Julien Dumora.

The rear of Castres was essential in the success of the CO (28-26) against Racing.

First test scorer on a serve at the foot of Benjamin Urdapilleta, he returned the favor with Geoffrey Palis as finisher.

It is essential in the Tarn (5 starts in as many matches, only 10 minutes not played).

William Percillier.

First ball, first try!

The young scrum-half (21) scored against Toulouse from his debut in the Top 14, moreover from his entry into play.

THE DECLARATIONS

"I'm sad for all the people who support us and have no comment on tonight's nothingness. Good evening."

Unsurprisingly, Agen manager Christophe Laussucq was fired the day after the sinking in Bordeaux-Bègles (71-5), after which he made this concise comment.

The AUS is dead last with 7 losses in as many games.

"We did not enter the lawn."

Sofiane Guitoune, the captain of a Toulouse team rejuvenated by the absence of French internationals and the wounded, after the rout at the Stade Français.

Toulouse conceded a 21-0 in the first quarter of an hour.

"There were not 40 solutions, to work hard, and that, in Castres, we know how to do it."

Castres manager Maurico Reggiardo is relishing CO's first success since the episode of massive Covid-19 contamination of his workforce, which deprived him of a match for a month and ruined his start to the season.

Rugby: Top 14

Results of the 7th day of the Top 14:

Saturday October 31

Brive - Clermont (bo) 21 - 43

Bordeaux-Bègles (bo) - Agen 71 - 5

Castres - Racing 92 (bd) 28 - 26

Sunday November 1

Pau - La Rochelle 24 - 35

Stade Français (bo) - Toulouse 48 - 14

Saturday November 21

(00h00) Bayonne - Toulon

.

postponed

Lyon - Montpellier

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