Top 14: Toulon gives itself a breath of fresh air against the Bordeaux leader

With two games behind and only two and four points short of the two teams ahead of them in the standings, Perpignan (12th) and Brive (11th), the Rade players performed well in front of their home crowd.

But this victory was snatched in pain, the second try of the UBB, by the young Cros, in the 76th minute, coming to shake the public of Mayol until the end.

With the test of Baptiste Serin, a former Bordelais, in the 70th minute, at the end of a messy game far removed from the standards expected of a three-time European champion team, the RCT believed to have definitively shelter.

But it was without counting on a permanent lack of discipline and too many clumsiness.

Throughout the match, the RCT remained in UBB's line of sight, finally winning with one breath after having twice seen their opponent come back on their heels.

After a first try by Argentinian flanker Facundo Isa (11th) for the Toulonnais, the answer first came from Bordeaux hooker Clément Maynadier (64th).

Then it was Geoffrey Cros who replied to Serin's breakaway flush with his pack of forwards.

Faced with a Bordeaux leader deprived of several internationals, including his strategist Matthieu Jalibert, injured, but also Cameron Woki, Yoram Moefana and Maxime Lucu, aligned with the Blues on Saturday afternoon against Ireland, Franck Azéma had finally recovered his springbok world champion Eben Etzebeth.

But neither the percussion of the powerful South African second line, nor the rare breakaway attempts of his compatriot Cheslin Kolbe, transparent, will have made it possible to put the Toulonnais under cover.

And it is finally the boot of the Toulon opener Louis Carbonel (9 points) which made the difference.

Until the end the meeting was very tense, like this general fight in the 80th minute, resulting in two red cards for an exchange of headbutts between the Toulonnais Rayan Rebbadj and the Bordeaux winger Geoffrey Cros.

Springbok world champion Eben Etzebeth very prominent with RC Toulon against UBB at the Mayol stadium, February 12, 2022 CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU AFP

For the Toulonnais, the next three games should be decisive for the maintenance, with first the reception of Perpignan then two perilous trips to Brive then Biarritz, their direct opponents to avoid the descent into Pro D2.

© 2022 AFP