Will the French clubs still manage the pass of three? Last season, La Rochelle, Stade Toulousain and Union Bordeaux-Bègles were invited to the last four of the Champions Cup. This season, the first two cities are back. Accompanied by Racing 92 and Montpellier, they hope to taste the flavor of the semi-finals. If we have to wait for the weekend games to know the lucky winners, one thing is certain, only three of them can hope to reach the semi-finals.
Toulouse wants to create the feat in Munster
The five-time European champion and defending champion went to soak up the atmosphere of the Hautes-Pyrénées for a training course at altitude before this shock at the top. Stade Toulousain will try to overthrow the Irish of Munster on Saturday (4:00 p.m., to follow on France 2), after having crunched those of Ulster in the round of 16. If the relocation of the match to the Aviva Stadium in Dublin will not allow the current second in the Championship to take advantage of the benchmarks that accompany a home match, it should not come to undermine the confidence garnered in recent months. Since May 2021, the Irish have only been defeated once at home, by Leinster in early April 2022.
The Stade Toulousain, almost complete, is picking up colors. If there are only two victories left in five games, the Rouge et Noir have managed to score successes which count first against Ulster in the round of 16 second leg of the European Cup, then against La Rochelle to stay in the race for the final stages in the Top 14. Toulouse will have to be great to get rid of the Irish trap.
La Rochelle or Montpellier in the last four?
There will inevitably be a disappointment. Marcel-Deflandre hosts Saturday (6:30 p.m.) a fratricidal fight between Stade Rochelais, unfortunate finalist of last season, and Montpellier, winner of the European Challenge in 2021. Leader of the Top 14, the MHR remains on two consecutive defeats and presents itself in the lair in La Rochelle with a largely reorganized workforce (executives left to rest with Bouthier, Garbisi and Bécognée, or wounded with Willemse). “We go to La Rochelle without pressure, we are the outsiders”said Hérault manager Philippe Saint-André at a pre-match press conference.
Last year’s finalists, the @StadeRochelais is undefeated this European season
Will the Maritimes reach a second consecutive final?
Here are their best moments so far this season pic.twitter.com/2AEnTZq0GT
— Champions Cup France (@ChampionsCup_FR) May 4, 2022
On the Maritimes side, the stated ambitions are quite different. Ronan O’Gara’s men, qualified for their third quarter in four European campaigns, still have defeat in the final against Stade Toulousain in their throats: “Last year, we came across the last hurdle. The players who are competitors, we see them in May. It’s now that it starts and our objective is to continue”announced the La Rochelle boss.
Racing 92 must show their best face against Sale
For several months, he has been juggling between the best and the worst. Very clever is the one able to guess what face Racing 92 will present before treading the lawn, especially since he sometimes has fun blurring the tracks a little more by unrolling his game for a period before losing his rugby. . Sunday (4 p.m.), the Ile-de-France residents receive Sale in their Arena.
A match within their reach against the Sharks, seventh in the Premiership, but it will still be necessary to respond in the fight against an extremely solid pack. The Racingmen are nevertheless advancing, carried by the confidence that accompanies a series of five consecutive victories. Above all, they have not lost in their case since November 2021.
Note that in the Challenge Cup, Lyon receives Glasgow on Saturday at 9 p.m. while Toulon faces the London Irish on Sunday at 1:30 p.m. (match to follow on France 4).