Toulouse (AFP)
La Rochelle, Toulouse, Racing: this trio of breakaways leading the Top 14, which stands at two points, consolidated its lead over the competition on Sunday during the 12th day, marked by the awakening of Pau and the fall of Lyon.
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La Rochelle solid in the storm
Can Stade Rochelais win their first French league title on June 25?
Six months from the final, this question may seem futile as the season is long and uncertain but the leader, installed for five days now, is armed to go far.
With a back, Brice Dulin, at the same level as in recent weeks, and a pack boss, Kevin Gourdon, relaying Victor Vito, injured, and Will Skelton, excluded for a shoulder tackle, the team of tandem Jono Gibbes - Ronan O'Gara beat Montpellier (22-9) without trembling.
A victory achieved despite dire conditions - wind and rain - and an hour spent in numerical inferiority.
What is more without Skelton, who has become indispensable due to his large volume of play. Unbeaten at home - 18th success in a row for Marcel-Deflandre - Stade Rochelais exudes a certain collective strength and is a serious rival for the bulldozers that are Toulouse and Racing.
Without being sparkling, the Toulousains discouraged Bordeaux-Bègles (45-23) thanks to a new individual exploit from Antoine Dupont and snatched the offensive bonus from the siren.
What arouse the ire of Bordeaux manager Christophe Urios who did not appear at a press conference ...
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Dams: any bonus for Toulon
Racing took a period to gain the upper hand over Agen (24-10 at half-time), before unwinding (45-10).
With respectively two and one units less than La Rochelle and Toulouse, and one game less, the Hauts-de-Seine club remains in ambush.
And if this leading trio comes out of Boxing Day comforted, it is because behind, only Toulon (4th) followed.
Thanks to a hat-trick from winger Gabin Villière, in great shape in the wake of his international debut, RCT had plenty of points (27-9) against Clermont, who had left many of his executives at rest.
Improved success and defeat of its competitors in the play-off race, Lyon (5th), Stade Français (6th), Clermont (7th) and UBB (8th): Toulon had a perfect day.
LOU fell to Brive (12-8) after seven unbeaten matches and lost two important players to injury, Mathieu Bastareaud and Jonathan Wisniewski.
The Stade Français let slip a success which stretched out its arms to Pau (29-27), its third game lost in the last minutes after those against Racing and Lyon.
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Support: Brive and Pau breathe
Winner on the wire, the Section Paloise breathes after six straight defeats which sealed the fate of coaches Nicolas Godignon and Frédéric Manca.
Their ex-assistants Paul Tito, Thomas Domingo and Geoffrey Lanne-Petit, promoted for the end of the season, are starting their rescue mission well.
The Pau go back to 10th place, just behind Brive (9th) which has a second success in the week after the one snatched from Castres (25-24) on Tuesday.
The CO (13th), whose match against Bayonne was postponed for cases of Covid-19 on the Basque side, and Montpellier (12th), which has only won three meetings since the start of the year, look grim. .
Almost mid-season, they remain stuck at the bottom of the standings, struggling to avoid the penultimate place synonymous with a perilous jump-off for the Pro D2 finalist.
And luckily for them, the red lantern Agen still hasn't won.
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