We would become almost choosy. After having salivated at the rhythm, the technical quality and the lace scenarios served up by Toulouse, La Rochelle, Montpellier, Lyon and to a lesser extent Toulon during this European weekend, it is little to say that the performance delivered by the Racing 92 against Sale, in this last quarter-final of the Champions Cup, is unsatisfied. An understatement even, as the waste chopped a game finally won by the Ile-de-France (41-22), this Sunday, May 8.
VICTOIIIRRREEEEEEEE! Les Ciel et Blanc win and advance to the semi-finals
CONGRATULATIONS @SaleSharksRugby for a huge game !!!!!
Racing 92v @staderochelais
Your tickets ️ https://t.co/G6JqLbzuss#R92vSAL #RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/k0Ki5t8Bix— Racing 92 (@racing92) May 8, 2022
To put it another way, if not the one who proved to be the most exciting and the most consistent, the winner of the day is the one who has made fewer mistakes and clumsiness than his opponent. Yet everyone has had their share. There was this badly negotiated two-against-one by Sale in the 26th, these poorly measured and too easily rendered foot games from Finn Russell, forwards or even this skipped pass from the South African world champion and a half of the Sharks scrum, Faf De Klerk, who spun directly into touch.
Roughly pounded on his line – as expected – by powerful and rough forwards, Laurent Travers’ players arched their backs, often tackling with two, putting their hands on the ball for welcome scratches, allowing them to repel opposing attacks. Van der Merwe still managed to sneak into the defense to bring the English to five points (55th, 23-17), as did Tom Curry late in the game (74th, 34-22). Manu Tuilagi had for his part surprised Racing just before the break thanks to a solo number (40th, 6-10).
But it was Racing 92 that took on the role of the team saved by two strokes of genius and maximum success. Teddy Thomas’ rods led the way. The winger performed a tightrope walker’s number to flatten the first Ile-de-France try (42nd, 13-10) and come back in front at the start of the second act. What to sound the revolt.
If the young number 9 of Racing, Nolann Le Garrec once again showed composure (17 points), Finn Russell, after messing up his rugby, pulled out of his hat an action as classy as it was decisive: a resumption of volley to fly over the defense, a second kick to the tunes of a great bridge to take off (50th, 21-10).
If the individual qualities of Teddy Thomas’ teammates ended up making the difference, the score on arrival is heavier than representative. Still, Racing 92 erases the disappointment of last year and the elimination conceded at this stage of the competition against Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
Three times unfortunate finalists, the Racingmen can still dream of winning their first European star. A sacred piece awaits them in the semi-final: it will be necessary to move to Marcel-Deflandre and dismiss the Rochelais, who fell from Montpellier, just as ambitious.