Montpellier (AFP)

Montpellier sank a little deeper into the crisis by losing (16-21) Saturday at the GGL Stadium in front of Lyon, which returns among the top six of the Top 14, during the 19th day.

The MHR, which obtained a new defensive bonus, did not take off from 13th place after this eighth consecutive defeat, in all competitions, and above all found no remedy for its vertiginous plummet.

Head coach Philippe Saint-André, who took over from Xavier Garbajosa on January 3, seems helpless and helpless.

The former coach of the Blues (2011-2015), who is back on the field, has still not won a single match.

Lyon is better.

By dominating Montpellier, for the second time in fifteen days, he limits his empty passage and especially goes back to 6th place, pending the clash between Toulon and the Stade Français on Sunday.

Pierre Mignoni's team showed realism to score three tries and thus take advantage of the feverishness of Montpellier, once again too penalized and disturbed in its alignment.

Unable to exploit a few opportunities, especially on three penalty kicks, Montpellier was surprised in the first period by a test from winger Xavier Mignot (35th), completing an action on the small side initiated by center Pierre-Louis Barassi and the half scrum Baptiste Couilloud.

Twelve minutes from the end, the MHR was led by twelve points (9-21) following two new Lyon trials, the first registered by winger Noa Nakaitaci (53rd), the second by Australian third row Colby Fainga 'a (65th).

If the hooker Youri Delhommel deprived Lyon of the offensive bonus, following the only Hérault try, Montpellier did not succeed in reversing the course of the match in the money-time and today seems totally powerless.

© 2021 AFP