Nanterre (AFP)

The money-time is definitely doing well at Racing 92: the Ile-de-France club narrowly dominated Lyon (34-26) and signed a third consecutive success to stay in the wheel of the Toulouse Stadium, leader, Saturday during the 16th day of Top 14 .

The former opener of the XV of France François Trinh-Duc, entered at the end of the match, escaped alone for fifty meters to free his family four minutes from the siren.

With this third try, the Racingmen made the difference on the Lyonnais but could just as easily have lost the match.

A drop from Jonathan Wisniewski, passed by a few moments before, could have allowed the LOU to pass in front.

Instead, the Rhone suffer a third defeat in a row despite a hat-trick by the Franco-Fijian arrow Noa Nakaitaci and remain at the gates of the Top 6, synonymous with qualification for the final phase at the end of the regular season.

The Racingmen, they return to three points from Stade Toulouse, intractable with Pau on Friday (31-9).

In this period of international duplication, any success is worth taking.

Especially for Racing 92, one of the major suppliers of players from the XV of France which will play its second match of the Six Nations Tournament on Sunday in Ireland.

The absences were not really felt at the start of the match under the roof of the Arena.

In barely a quarter of an hour, the Ciel et Blancs were already leading 18-0 afterwards, including a 50-meter solo ride from hooker Teddy Baubigny and another try, in the right corner of Irish back Simon Zebo.

The Racingmen were on the verge of securing a third but winger Louis Dupichot was denied the attempt for a pass ahead of Zebo.

This caused an electroshock on the side of the Lyonnais who made up their delay thanks to a double from Nakaitaci in the left lane.

At 24-15 at the break, everything was still possible for the Rhone residents.

The Racingmen failed to give themselves air and paid for their indiscipline with a yellow card, the second, inflicted on the third row Ibrahim Diallo for a high tackle on Wisniewski.

The Ile-de-France N.9 Maxime Machenaud had already been temporarily excluded in the first period.

The Rhone have come back to a point and could have reversed the situation.

Fortunately for Racing 92, there was Trinh-Duc.

© 2021 AFP