One week before the opening of the Six Nations Tournament, the Top 14 offered us the first “double” of the winter, Saturday January 29. If the leader, Bordeaux-Bègles, held its rank, even taking advantage of the misstep of Stade Toulouse to widen the gap in the lead, La Rochelle lost to another big team in the championship. In the fight for maintenance, Brive scored points.
In Bordeaux-Bègles, the veterans hold the house
Jefferson Poirot, Louis Picamoles, François Trinh-Duc, Rémi Lamerat… A few years ago, in full heart of the month of January, none of these players would have been aligned in the league. Sure values of the XV of France of the last decade, they would logically have been protected by their club or retained with the national selection. Today at UBB, the Blues are rather called Cameron Woki, Matthieu Jalibert or Yoram Moefana. In their absence, it was the dads who took over.
It’s over, Bordeaux & Blanc won at home against Castres!#ILOVEUBB #UBBCO pic.twitter.com/TyChBgSjN9
—UBB Rugby (@UBBrugby) January 29, 2022
Facing a Castres Olympique (23-10) faithful to its values of scratching hair outside, Louis Picamoles scored the break test at the end of the first period, when François Trinh-Duc, author of 13 points, s is shown to be decisive in the kicking game.
The CAB ends a bad series
It was a match not to be lost. Engaged in the fight to maintain, Coujoux and Biarrots found themselves on the lawn of Amédée-Domenech. Despite the red card inflicted on their second line Lucas Paulos as soon as they returned from the locker room (43rd), it was the locals who signed the good operation of the day (33-10), after a series of four defeats in the Top 14.
Jeremy Davidson’s men take advantage of the offensive bonus to extricate themselves from the relegation zone and are now seven points ahead of their opponents of the day, dead last in the standings. And five on Toulon which moves on the lawn of the French Stadium, Sunday at 9:05 p.m.
Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack have played together again
It had been more than a month and a half since the hinge of the XV of France had not been associated. Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack, successively injured then affected by Covid-19, met on Saturday for the first time since December 11, and an enhanced victory in Cardiff, in the Champions Cup (7-39).
The composition of the Stadium ⚡
Discover the starting XV against the @racing92 #STR92 pic.twitter.com/PBemczHFHk
– Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) January 28, 2022
But against Racing 92, the return of the tricolor pair did not have the desired effect. Caught by the throat from the outset, the defending champions of France and Europe failed to impose their game (15-20). They concede their third defeat in a row in the league. The first at home. Sunday, both should find Fabien Galthié and his staff to prepare for the first day of the Six Nations Tournament against Italy, Sunday February 6.