La Rochelle (AFP)
La Rochelle, less dashing than usual, temporarily regained the lead of the Top 14 at Racing 92 after its sluggish victory over the French Stadium (16-11), remobilized on Saturday on the occasion of the 17th day.
Realism to ensure the essential on one side, a desire not to leave empty-handed on the other, this is a summary of this match without much rhythm but remained undecided until the end.
While waiting for the trip from Toulouse to Lyon on Saturday evening, we are indeed heading towards a three-way fight for the two places of direct qualifiers after this maritime success.
The French Stadium, so porous lately outside, has rectified the situation well.
If he recovered in extremis a defensive bonus that could be expensive in the final tally, he could also rail against the eight points left behind by his Argentine striker Nicolas Sanchez, back in the competition, which weighs heavily in the end.
In the wake of their great victory brought back from Toulon, the Maritimes, usually so conquering and solid to Marcel-Deflandre, were unable to display the same ambitions in the game when everything had started perfectly for them, with this flash. scrum half Thomas Berjon over 40 meters, escaping two tackles to slip between the poles and ideally throw his own (6th).
But there was no follow-up, the fault of clumsiness and Parisians monopolizing the ball without succeeding in breaking through the well-organized local lock.
And as Sanchez had trouble facing the poles (1 out of 4 in the end), La Rochelle turned slightly in the lead at the break (10-0) after having squandered three scrums five meters after the siren.
The recovery was to the advantage of the visitors with an interception by winger Telusa Veainu who spun on the test and gave a surplus of interest to this meeting (44th).
But again, the offensives on both sides were in vain, the mark being the prerogative of the scorers.
In forcing, Jonathan Danty's team members recovered a final penalty at the last minute, which was successful by Joris Segonds to pocket a defensive bonus that brought hope.
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