Montpellier (AFP)

Racing 92, held back by two defeats at home, relaunched by returning to victory (24-22) Friday in Montpellier, beaten for the 9th time in a row, at the opening of the 15th day of the Top 14.

Led until two minutes from the end, Laurent Travers' team took the advantage for the only occasion of the game thanks to a penalty from the young opener Antoine Gibert, sanctioning the fragility of the American pillar Titi Lamositele.

Racing 92 has temporarily resumed 3rd place in the championship in the wake of Toulouse and La Rochelle, whose scheduled match for Sunday has been postponed.

The Ile-de-France team is still exporting just as well.

Henry Chavancy's partners obtained their 6th away success to compensate for their recurring missteps at the Arena, in particular those recent against Toulon and Bordeaux-Bègles.

Montpellier (13th), him, never stops losing.

He continues a seventh defeat in the league, the 9th in all competitions.

He is a little more worried about his staying in the Top 14.

The new coach Philippe Saint-André, who succeeded Xavier Garbajosa, seems powerless to raise the bar of the MHR, double finalist of the championship (2011 and 2018).

Cruel scenario for the MHR.

Montpellier, once again too undisciplined, led until the 78th minute when he was sanctioned in quick succession on his own introduction in scrum.

Yet with great courage, he limited the damage during the first period thanks to the efficiency of his scorers Henry Immelman and especially Benoît Paillaugue, replaced at the opening.

He kept a small head start at the break (12-11).

Montpellier, united, has long resisted Racing which imposed a huge physical challenge on the Hérault defense and found the fault five minutes from halftime (35) thanks to winger Louis Dupichot.

The PSA team gave themselves some air by scoring their first try by their winger Gabriel Ngndebe (53rd), but failed to maintain their lead of eight points.

Indeed, Racing came back to one point thanks to a try by young center Olivier Klemenczak before adding a decisive final penalty.

© 2021 AFP