Paris (AFP)
Toulouse asserts itself, Toulon confirms.
Stade Toulousain outclassed Agen (59-0) while RCT crunched Stade Français (35-13) during the 19th day of Top 14, played between Friday and Sunday.
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Toulon all good
After having surprised Racing 92 (29-23), Toulon offered the French Stadium (35-13), hardly helped by the red card received by Nicolas Sanchez in the first period, nor by a shimmering Louis Carbonel.
Thanks to this improved victory, the RCT climbed to third place in the standings (42 pts), well behind La Rochelle (49 pts) and the Toulouse leader (52 pts).
This second victory in a row allows the Var to get back in order after a series of half-hearted performances.
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Toulouse XXL
Too serious, too diligent, too strong, Stade Toulouse was merciless for a drifting Agen team, pulverized 59-0, with nine tries and an offensive bonus point.
Better, the twirling winger Matthis Lebel signed a hat-trick, his ninth, tenth and eleventh tries to settle comfortably at the top of the test scorers classification.
Even better, the Rouge et Noir have nabbed the leadership of the Top 14 in La Rochelle.
For the SUA, on the other hand, it's the soup to the grimace.
With this fifteenth defeat in as many games, the Agenais join Usap for the 2018-2019 season in the first row of the worst league debuts in history.
The agenais dunce will want to win at all costs in Bayonne, next week, to avoid disaster.
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The curse of MHR
After a sixth defeat in a row, against Lyon (21-16), Montpellier, title candidate at the start of the season, has changed dimension.
Now, in the Hérault, it is maintenance operation.
Unable to win since December, the MHR is indeed only 13th in the standings, far from the ambitions of the start of the season.
"At times, we say to ourselves that there is a black cat. I have known a lot of things in my career, but I have rarely seen that. Four matches, four losses, four defensive bonuses", has also deplored the Montpellier manager Philippe Saint-André.
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The big blow of the UBB
Through a mouse hole.
Bordeaux-Bègles narrowly won in front of Racing 92 (33-32) but this success, achieved by a master hand, allows UBB (6th) to relaunch in the race for qualification.
Thanks WHO?
Worn by Matthieu Jalibert and Cameron Woki, Christophe Urios' men went on to a fourth match without defeat.
A demonstration of their ambitions on the ground of Racing 92, beaten in its Arena for the second time in a row.
The outcome might have been different if Kurtley Beale hadn't hit the post three minutes from time.
But that's also the mark of fit teams.
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Blues for the Blues
The center of Racing 92 Virimi Vakatawa injured in a knee, the third row of Toulon Charles Ollivon released on concussion protocol ... Dirty weekend for the XV of France, which must meet in Nice from Monday to prepare for the Tournament of the six nations.
If the Lyonnais Pierre-Louis Barassi was recalled to replace Vakatawa, the Toulonnais Swann Rebbadj, him, should be in the game, even if he had to withdraw at the last minute on Sunday, due to a dental abscess.
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