Paris (AFP)
Duel from a distance.
La Rochelle, 2nd three points behind the Toulouse leader, receives Bayonne on Friday to make up for lost time while Racing 92, 3rd, will want to make up for it in front of UBB, on Saturday, on the 19th day of the Top 14.
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La Rochelle aims for pole
After twenty days of absence, rugby resumes its rights in La Rochelle.
The training center reopened its doors Sunday after a closure imposed by a wave of contamination (ten players in the pro, eighteen in the Hopes).
The Maritimes, second in the ranking behind Toulouse, intend to resume their forward march, halted sharply by the pandemic.
They remained on two successes in a row in the league.
The reception of Bayonne, 12th, is timely: the Basques have not won since the end of November and a victory in La Rochelle on Friday (8:45 p.m.), would put pressure on the Toulouse leader, three points ahead.
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Racing 92 - UBB, powered up
Revenge, Racing?
"A little", admits Maxime Machenaud after the defeat at home against Toulon (29-23).
"We have a certain revenge to take from Saturday. We are lucky that the weekends are linked so it's a good thing to make up for it", added the scrum half before challenging the UBB, another beast hurt.
Untouchable leaders at the time of the shutdown of last season, the Bordo-Béglais are only sixth in the standings.
The men of Christophe Urios, unbeaten in 2021 (two wins, one draw) have the opportunity to rub their ambitions with the Ile-de-France revealer, just to correct these details which could make the difference.
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Montpellier wants to get its head out of the water
We meet once again!
Less than two weeks after falling in Lyon (24-20 on January 6), the MHR receives the LOU on Saturday (6.15 p.m.) and, this time, does not really have the right to make mistakes.
After five consecutive defeats, Montpellier sank into the crisis as much as into the depths of the standings.
The ambitious Hérault people are now fighting not to come down: "We must write a new page of the club, undoubtedly one of the most important", has also promised the scrum half Benoît Paillaugue.
The LOU, on the other hand, can hook up the right car and get back into the race for the top six.
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Toulon, all good?
A week after its big blow on the field of Racing 92 (29-23), Toulon finds another club in Ile-de-France with the reception of the French Stadium, direct competitor for qualification.
The RCT will want to confirm but it will be without Anthony Belleau (knee), Julien Hériteau (shoulder) or Gervais Cordin (ankle)
For the Pink Soldiers, sketched by Toulouse (48-24) ten days ago, the match against Toulon, which they have only beaten once in their last three confrontations, will be the opportunity to rediscover colors.
To assert and confirm.
In the other meetings of the day, the Toulouse leader goes to the red lantern Agen.
The AUS, eighteen points behind the Red and Black, is no longer having many illusions.
The men of Régis Sonnes will especially intend to avoid a drop, at home, against the champion of France 2019. Finally, Pau faces Brive, two teams neck and neck in the fight for maintenance.
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