Paris (AFP)

Two tickets are still looking for takers for the final phase of the Top 14 and four teams, Clermont, the Stade Français, Toulon and Castres, claim it Saturday (9:05 pm) during a 26th and last day full of challenges on all floors.

- Toulouse and La Rochelle have a view of the semi-finals -

Stade Toulousain and its European runner-up La Rochelle, respectively first and second in the standings with the same number of points (77), have a final push to give to go directly to the last four. A draw or an improved defeat is enough for them to achieve their ends whatever the results of their two pursuers, Racing 92 (3rd with 73 pts) and Bordeaux-Bègles (4th, 72 pts), already guaranteed to play their dam at home. The Ile-de-France team receives Brive (11th, 51 pts), which has nothing more to hope for, while the UBB welcomes ... the Toulouse Stadium!

The Girondins still have a small chance to finish in the top two and will want to play the shot to the max.

"If we have to go through a play-off, we'll go through a play-off. There is no problem with that", relativizes the Toulouse back coach Clément Poitrenaud.

But "if we can avoid it and prepare for a semi-final in 15 days, given the density of the season, it would always be an advantage," he says.

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For its part, La Rochelle also has a perilous trip to negotiate, in Clermont (5th, 67 pts) who wants at all costs to avoid an early elimination for the last match in Auvergne of his coach Franck Azéma.

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- Between Castres and Toulon, an eighth tune -

It’s a double or nothing duel. Toulon (6th, 66 pts) must win with the offensive bonus to ensure its place in the final phase without taking into account the other results. Because in the event of a tie with Stade Français (7th, 66 pts) or three (with also Clermont), the RCT would be certain to take one of the last two tickets. The Castres team (8th, 64 pts), it no longer has its destiny in its hands and would depend on the results of the French Stadium and the ASM in the event of a five-point success against the RCT. But joining the fight to the end for the CO, still penultimate at Christmas, is already a victory.

"We achieved great things match after match and confidence has returned. I think we deserve this + round of 16 + at Pierre-Fabre," said third line international Anthony Jelonch in an interview with AFP.

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The French Stadium, despite a cannonball end of the season, could also finish at the gates of the top 6, if it signs a sixth consecutive success in Bayonne (12th, 45 pts), which wants to ensure its maintenance.

"We are going to go there, as we have been doing for two or three months, without asking any questions and especially by playing our game," warned the Parisian scrum-half Arthur Coville.

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- Pau and Bayonne, a question of survival -

With its four points ahead of the Pau Section, penultimate (41 pts) and therefore virtual jump-off, Aviron Bayonnais seems to be in a very favorable ballot for maintenance.

But that would be to forget that the Section receives Montpellier (10th, 54 pts), a team with nothing more to play and with the full infirmary, joined Thursday by the international winger Vincent Rattez, operated on an ankle.

The Basque club, it receives the French Stadium, forced to win to hope for a place in the final phase.

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However, a draw or a double bonus is enough for the Bayonnais to avoid the penultimate place and a barrage of accession / relegation against one of the two finalists of the Pro D2, Perpignan or Biarritz.

In the event of a tie, the Section would go ahead thanks to its two successes against its direct competitor.

Condemned to relegation for a long time, the red lantern Agen will try, in Lyon, not to end the "fanny" season.

The Saturday program (all matches at 9:05 p.m.):

Bayonne - French Stadium

Castres - Toulon

Clermont - La Rochelle

Lyon - Agen

Pau - Montpellier

Racing 92 - Brive

Bordeaux-Begles - Toulouse

Classification: Pts JGNP pp pc dif Good

1. Toulouse 77 25 16 1 8 746 547 199 11

2. La Rochelle 77 25 17 0 8 706 427 279 9

3. Racing 92 73 25 16 0 9 702 565 137 9

4. Bordeaux-Bègles 72 25 15 1 9 730 525 205 10

5. Clermont 67 25 14 1 10 805 599 206 9

6. Toulon 66 25 14 0 11 617 559 58 10

7. Stade Français 66 25 14 0 11 689 613 76 10

8. Castres 64 25 14 1 10 579 652 -73 6

9. Lyon 60 25 13 1 11 626 561 65 6

10. Montpellier 54 25 10 0 15 554 574 -20 14

11. Brive 51 25 11 0 14 573 656 -83 7

12. Bayonne 45 25 10 0 15 556 784-228 5

13. Pau 41 25 8 1 16 647 727 -80 7

14. Agen 2 25 0 0 25 3081049-741 2

Editor's note: Victory = 4 pts, draw = 2 pts, defeat = 0 pt

Bonus: 1 point for a victory with 3 more tries than the opponent, 1 point for a loss of 5 points or less.

In the event of a tie in the final classification, the "field points" (victory, draw, bonus) recorded during the direct confrontations prevail then, if the tie persists, the general difference in "brand points" (cumulative scores).

The first 2 qualified for the semi-finals which take place, like the final, on neutral ground.

The clubs classified from 3 to 6 play play-offs for the semi-finals on the ground of the best classified.

The latest in Pro D2.

The 13th plays a jump-off against the loser of the Pro D2 final on the latter's field.

© 2021 AFP