Only victory is beautiful! Stade Rochelais dominated Racing 92 on Sunday 20-13 in the semi-final of the Champions Cup in Lens. The second consecutive final for the Maritimes after the one lost last season against Stade Toulousain. In the Bollaert basin, this semi-final will not really have reached the heights. The stake surely killed the game but the main thing is there for the yellow and black club.
west to west
In a Félix-Bollaert stadium bathed in sunshine but with depopulated stands, it was Racing who took the lead in the first act. Despite better possession of the ball, it was the Ile-de-France residents who showed realism at the start of the match by opening the scoring with a penalty, then thanks to a try from Vakatawa.
The Rochelais responded with Ihaia West on penalty, then at the very end of the first period with a deserved try from captain Grégory Alldritt after a succession of Ile-de-France fouls and scrums five meters from the line. The other highlight of this first act is West’s failure in his attempts. A largely doable but missed penalty and conversion. Score at half-time: 10 to 8 for Racing 92.
– MATTHIEU MIRVILLE / DPPI VIA AFP
A pack in the north
The New Zealand scrum-half had the opportunity to put Stade Rochelais in front after returning from the locker room, but his penalty kick found the bar. Incredible recurrent feverishness. Fortunately, the big ones continued their undermining work, pushing the Racingmen to make a mistake (yellow card for Tanga). With a penalty try as a double penalty. For the first time in the game, the Maritimes passed in front of the 53′ (15 to 13).
Luckily, the goalscorer’s clumsiness was contagious as Le Garrec also dropped two attempts. The rest of the match was nothing but a porridge of rugby. Waste, a string of faults, questionable, even incomprehensible choices. But in this showdown of the packs, it was La Rochelle that finished stronger. As a symbol, it was Ihaia West, hitherto at the bottom of the seal, who planted the test sending his team from the final to a corner at the last second.
Head south
The Maritimes will return to the championship next Saturday with the obligation to win against Stade Français in the race to qualify for the final stages of the Top 14. Before finishing the regular phase on June 5 in Lyon. The LOU which qualified for the final of the Challenge Cup by dominating the Wasps (20 to 18) and which will face RC Toulon winner of the Saracens (25 to 16). It will be on Friday May 27 at the Stade Vélodrome in Marseille. The day before the other final therefore.