Racing is going strong in Toulon

We expected a start from Toulon after a very complicated start to the season (two wins, one draw and three losses). For this shock of the 7th day of the Top 14 against Racing, Saturday October 16, the Rouge et Noir put more ingredients on the ground to finally offer a service worthy of the name.

But Patrice Collazo’s players fell on strong Ile-de-France residents with a perfectly sharp game plan to thwart that of the locals. Result: a new defeat (20-27) – the first at home – and doubts reinforced, despite the official presentation of the star Cheslin Kolbe to the public of Mayol.

The match: Ambitious Toulon before submitting to the law of Racing

Hold lengthwise. Be more realistic. Make fewer technical errors. The list of elements to be corrected on the Toulon side seems quite clear in the light of this last outing against Racing. Offensives and players throughout the first act, the Rouge et Noir did not know how to take advantage of this madness in the face of players from Racing in place but sometimes unruly. Result: the premises were already led 13-6 at the break, after in particular a test by Yoan Tanga in the axis shortly before the 20th minute.

Back from the locker room, and despite a numerical superiority after Gaël Fickou’s warning on the Ile-de-France side, Le Garrec’s two penalties worsened the score and put the Toulonnais a little more in the hard. Diallo’s test for Racing (54th) confirmed the impression. Behind the score, dominated 24-6 ten minutes from the end of the meeting, difficult to give the hopes of the Red and Black dear. But like the two tests signed Alainu’uese (70th) and Paia’aua (78th), well transformed by Anthony Belleau and Louis Carbonel, they did not give up and wanted to believe in it until the end. A burst of pride unfortunately not rewarded and which plunges Racing into an even more complicated situation.

The player: Nolann Le Garrec on fire

He was the real pilot fish for his team this Saturday. At the baton to lead the offensive game of Racing, Nolann Le Garrec was precious by his kicking game with no less than four penalties and a transformation on the try of Yoan Tanga in the 20th minute of play. 19 years old was not caught up by the stake and justified the confidence placed in him by his manager Laurent Travers. The international tricolor under 20, real spearhead of these Racingmen since the start of the season, continues to capitalize … before perhaps, soon, a selection in A among the Blues?

The fact of the evening: Kolbe new Red and Black

The thinning in a disappointing evening for the public of the Felix-Mayol stadium. A few seconds before the start of the meeting, he arrived, with a smile on his face and the microphone in hand, to deliver his first words to his new supporters. Just arrived in the harbor this week, the world champion (2019), European champion (2021) and French champion (2019 and 2021) South African Cheslin Kolbe took his first steps on the lawn. We will have to wait a little longer to see him with the crampons, because of his left knee injury. But there is no doubt that the arrival of the 27-year-old will galvanize a whole team that really needs it.