Paris (AFP)

No European Cup but a catch-up session in the Top 14: Bordeaux-Bègles and Clermont face each other on Saturday with the challenge of getting back into the title race, before a Racing 92-Toulon shock on Sunday looking like the final phase .

This weekend and the next were originally dedicated to continental competitions, but the pressure of the pandemic in the United Kingdom, faced with a variant of the coronavirus, caused the cancellation of the last two group days.

For the Top 14, this is the opportunity to reschedule matches, postponed for reasons related to Covid-19.

"We live a little from day to day. We adapt and the moment we play, we are happy," said Jean-Pascal Barraque, center of Clermont.

Instead of going to challenge the Irish of Munster, the Jaunards therefore rub shoulders with the UBB, which finds the hair of the beast in the championship.

After two defeats in December, against two members of the leading trio, Racing 92 then Stade Toulouse, the Girondins signed two convincing successes against two other contenders for the Brennus Shield, Toulon then Lyon.

MM "We must continue to stay the course. Today, I find that we are well. We have regained a very good state of mind. Physically, we are better. In our rugby, you can feel it (... ) We are progressing, ”explained UBB coach Christophe Urios.

Another victory and his team, currently seventh in the standings, would return to the group of the first six, who will qualify for the finals at the end of the regular season.

The stake is the same for Clermont, ranked eighth with the same number of points (33) as the Bordeaux club but one game less.

After three consecutive defeats, ASM offered a breath of fresh air last weekend by winning at Pau (42-31), a team fighting for maintenance.

But it takes more to prove that the 2017 French champion is on the right track.

- Toulon in difficulty away -

"I heard that we did not respect our supporters when we were in Toulon (27-9 defeat at the end of December). I say that the players wet the jersey, they never let go" , assures Franck Azéma, the sports director of the ASM.

To reverse the trend, the Clermontois "have gone back to work even more", adds hooker Adrien Pélissié, who expects "a somewhat particular return", without an audience, on the grounds of the UBB where he played three years before joining Auvergne last year.

The Jaunards had taken a slap (42-15) during their last trip to Gironde, in October 2019. They have not imposed themselves there for four years.

The last victory of Toulon on the grounds of Racing 92 dates back to 2016. "Outside, we are not consistent and not consistent. It is really the axis of progress to be held for us", underlines the captain of the RCT and the XV of France Charles Ollivon.

- Battles for maintenance -

The challenge is all the more met as Racing 92 remains on six consecutive victories, the European Cup included.

A seventh and the Ile-de-France club would move from third to second place in the Top 14, to one or two units from Stade Toulouse, current leader but with two more matches.

Such a scenario would eject from the Top 6 Toulon, which has lost two of its last three matches.

The other four teams mobilized this weekend will try to gain points for maintenance.

The best placed, Castres (10th) goes to Montpellier on Sunday, penultimate, and aims for a third consecutive victory after successes against Lyon and Agen by playing fourteen.

Pau (11th) travels Saturday to Bayonne (12th), which has not played since December 19 due to a wave of contaminations with the British variant of the coronavirus in its ranks.

© 2021 AFP