Toulouse (AFP)
La Rochelle performed well on the 20th day of the Top 14, Saturday, by winning in Bordeaux while Toulouse and Racing 92 fell against low-ranking teams.
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Toulouse and Racing stumble
Toulouse coach Ugo Mola warned during the week: Montpellier "is out of place at the bottom of the rankings".
The MHR, 11th, confirmed its regain of form before the break with a surprise victory (29-16) on the ground of an unrecognizable leader, which allows him to take eight lengths ahead of Pau, penultimate and barrage.
The Toulouse Stadium had however so far managed better than in the fall the period of doubloons, but without its French internationals, remained in the stands of Ernest-Wallon after losing the day before against Scotland in the Tournament of six nations, the Haut-Garonnais club has grilled a wild card.
Racing 92 did the same with another team fighting for maintenance, Bayonne, which offered itself the scalp of another big (23-13) after having already brought down Toulon.
Rowing, 12th, also takes a little air on Pau, while Racing, third, sees Clermont return to its height.
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La Rochelle takes advantage
The holidays have been good in La Rochelle.
Beaten in their last two outings, by Toulouse and Castres, the Maritimes resumed their forward march, with the manner, on the ground of Bègles-Bordeaux (26-11).
A convincing success that allows them to mark the spirits against another candidate for the final phase.
And above all to achieve an excellent accounting operation by coming back to three points from Toulouse and by distancing themselves from Racing, now at three lengths.
The Girondins will have to fight again during the final sprint to definitively secure their place in the top 6.
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The French stadium is scuttled
Two yellow cards, one red and 14 penalties conceded: the French Stadium paid dearly for its lack of discipline against Clermont (34-27).
Even if nothing has yet been done mathematically, the Parisians, with this misstep at home, can undoubtedly draw a line on the final phase.
They would now need a "miracle" to qualify, recognized, fatalistic, the third row Antoine Burban.
Often clumsy after two weeks of cutoff, the Auvergnats, struggling to conquer, were not yet in a great day.
Returning to the level of Racing in the standings, they will not be able to afford so much waste next week in the round of 16 of the European Cup against the Wasps.
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Pau, that's it
Pau snatched after the siren in Castres a defensive bonus point which could weigh heavily at the end of the season in the balance of maintenance.
His defeat (38-33) nonetheless remains a very bad operation with the victories of Bayonne and Montpellier.
The Béarnais also lost their opener Antoine Hastoy, best director of the championship, to injury, visibly hit in the shoulder after keeping his team afloat thanks to his success on the foot.
The CO, which has not been stopped since the reshuffle carried out in its staff at the end of December, temporarily climbs to seventh place while waiting for the shock between Lyon and Toulon in the evening (9:05 pm).
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