Paris (AFP)
Clermont can temporarily climb to second place in the Top 14 if successful Friday in Montpellier at the opening of an 18th day marked by a poster that looks like the final phase between Racing 92, third, and Toulon, in a bad patch.
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Podium in sight for Clermont
The air hole of the beginning of winter is forgotten in Clermont.
The Auvergne club has just scored 18 tries in two matches against Bayonne (73-3) and Agen (52-16), and took advantage of these two enhanced successes to come back within shooting range of the leading trio.
The Clermontois, who would like to offer a nice starting gift to their coach Franck Azéma, leaving at the end of the season, face another poorly classified, Montpellier, 11th, on Friday, and could overtake La Rochelle and Racing 92 while awaiting their matches. the next day.
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Toulouse reunites with Ntamack
The defeat in Lyon (31-23) was only a free warning for Stade Toulouse.
Reduced by the absences of his Blues, the Haut-Garonnais club reacted superbly by going to win and take back control of the standings in La Rochelle (14-11), which had not fallen at home for almost two years.
The Rouge et Noir must recover on Saturday for the reception of Brive their international opener Romain Ntamack, away from the field since the end of December (jawbone).
South African world champion Cheslin Kolbe, after helping out at the opening in La Rochelle, should return to a more usual position, at the back or on the wing.
Not necessarily enough to reassure Brivists who have taken a little margin for maintenance by inflicting Bordeaux-Bègles (25-23) its first setback of the year 2021.
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La Rochelle, last effort
The Rochelais, physically blunt, were the first to recognize it after their defeat on the wire against Toulouse: the holidays will do them good.
They will first have to provide a last effort on the field of Castres if they want to keep pace at the top of the standings and keep Clermont at bay.
The CO, which has just extended its emblematic scrum half Rory Kockott for one season, has a small mattress like Brive on the three teams most concerned by maintenance, Montpellier, Pau and Bayonne.
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Toulon forced to tinker
To stay in the wagon of the final phase, the RCT must pull itself together after three defeats in four matches.
The last, Friday at home against Bayonne (16-14), resident of the red zone, confirmed the limits of the time of the Var team, then deprived of about twenty players.
Against Racing 92, third in the standings, "we will try to find solutions by tinkering since we have become the kings of DIY", warned coach Patrice Collazo who cannot a priori count on the return of all his French internationals.
Third line and captain Charles Ollivon, second line Romain Taofifenua and winger Gabin Villière have all tested positive for Covid-19 with the Blues.
"For the moment we are happy with the toolbox that we have," said Laurent Travers, the coach of Racing 92, in search of a fifth straight victory.
The last duel between the two teams, on January 17 in the Paris region, had turned to the advantage of the RCT (29-23).
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Lyon wants to grab, the UBB to relaunch
After bringing down the Toulouse Stadium, leader, the Lou goes to Bayonne to get closer to the Top 6. Deprived of the right pillar Demba Bamba again injured (right hamstring), the Rhone hope to count on their other French internationals Killian Geraci , Pierre-Louis Barassi and Dylan Cretin back in club after the discovery of the cluster in Marcoussis.
In Bordeaux-Bègles, coach Christophe Urios is awaiting results of health tests to know if he will be able to benefit from all of his internationals.
The UBB, opposed to Pau, wants to return to victory after the stoppage in Brive.
© 2021 AFP