Traffic jam for the semis: La Rochelle, Castres and Racing 92, all victorious at home on Saturday during the 23rd day of the Top 14, put pressure on Bordeaux-Bègles before its perilous trip to Montpellier on Sunday, and on Toulouse, back to the wall after his defeat against Toulon. In the event of defeat at the Hérault leader, the UBB, already beaten eight times in their last nine games in all competitions, would see their second place, directly qualifying for the last four, very seriously threatened.
#TOP14 – D23
Reminder of all the scores for this Saturday before the final clash between the @MHR_official and the@UBBrugby ! pic.twitter.com/qYFju8BsoV— TOP 14 Rugby (@top14rugby) April 23, 2022
With several executives left to rest, including Uini Atonio, Grégory Alldritt and Jonathan Danty, the Maritimes provided the essentials against a brave team from Perpignan (32-16), without managing to win the offensive bonus point.“We fell against a good team from Perpignan, strong, who made us drop the ball. We may also have taken the easy way too much. We will have to rectify that for the future”warned the opening half of La Rochelle Jules Plisson.
La Rochelle is temporarily only a length behind second place, as is Castres, still as intractable in its fortress of Pierre-Fabre. Very just tactically, the CO chained there against Clermont (12-0), in dantesque weather conditions, a twentieth match without defeat, a first in the history of the club.
No rain, no wind under the roof of its Arena, but Racing 92 took time to get into its match against the red lantern, Biarritz, yet already almost condemned to relegation. Led at half-time (7-6), the Hauts-de-Seine club, much more attractive after the break, with some superb offensive movements and a double from Teddy Thomas, managed to reverse the trend to win. with the bonus (40-7).
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40 – 7 ⚪️
#R92BO #RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/VcmXhGCcrL— Racing 92 (@racing92) April 23, 2022
Opposed in the evening to Toulon for a gala match in a sold-out Vélodrome stadium in Marseille, Toulouse, without its international hinge Dupont-Ntamack, failed to keep pace with the Varois. The defending champion, diminished by numerous injuries, has long been in the lead thanks to the foot of Thomas Ramos. But a try by international winger Gabin Villière at the end of the match offered the victory of hope to the RCT (19-15) and will not leave the room for error to Toulouse next week in their Stadium against La Rochelle .
Their defensive bonus point still allows them to return to the height of Lyon in sixth place after the victory earlier in the day of the men of Pierre Mignoni in the rain in Brive (31-17), thanks in particular to the young opener Léo Berdeu, author of 26 points alone.