After Lyon, Racing 92 brings down Toulouse
Mathieu WARNIER, Media365, published on Sunday, October 31, 2021 at 10:54 p.m.
At the end of the 9th day of the Top 14, Racing 92 got the better of a reworked Toulouse team (27-18) and which leaves first place in the standings to Bordeaux-Bègles.
Two fall for Toulouse! Beaten on the lawn of Lyon during the 7th day, the players of Ugo Mola can return to their trip to Paris-La Défense Arena to face Racing 92. But the Toulouse technician can still be satisfied to have seen his team, deeply changed due to the many absent internationals, have competed with the Ile-de-France at least during the first period. Because it is the Toulouse people who have better to prepare for this closing meeting of the 9th day of the Top 14. From the 8th minute, Arthur Bonneval made a cold spell in the spans. Present at the end of the line to conclude an action initiated by Alban Placines and with relays from Zack Holmes then Maxime Médard, the winger flattened his first try in nearly two years. While Zack Holmes made the addition at the long distance foot ten minutes later, the awakening of Racing 92 materialized by a test of Boris Palu. After trying to destabilize the Toulouse defense, the Racingmen forced the passage with Bernard Le Roux and Camille Chat before launching the second row born in Toulouse to revive the Ciel-et-Blancs. The end of the first act saw Antoine Gibert responds to Zack Holmes while the Toulouse were unable to take advantage of ten minutes in numerical superiority following the yellow card received by Kurtley Beale.
Le Garrec relaunched Racing 92
The Australian international, who will soon find the Wallabies, was sanctioned for a high tackle. Zack Holmes had the opportunity to add three points after the fault of the player of Racing 92 but the Australian striker missed the target more than 40 meters. Having lost Richie Arnold to injury then Arthur Bonneval to concussion protocol, the reigning French champion could be satisfied with the three point lead acquired at the break. But, when they returned to the synthetic turf at the Paris-La Défense Arena, the situation had totally changed and Nolann Le Garrec was the catalyst. The Ile-de-France scrum-half first put the two teams tied six minutes after the break following a Toulouse offside position in the middle of the field. Then, the one who is called to replace Maxime Machenaud next season went there for his test two minutes later. On a touch at the height of the 22-meter line, Camille Chat extended her throw to find her scrum-half who then played on the opposing defense on a fake pass to go flatten alone and give the advantage to the Racing 92 for the first time in the match. An ascendant that the players of Laurent Travers confirmed from the 54th minute with the double of Boris Palu. On a decisive pass from Nolann Le Garrec, the Ile-de-France second-line arrived launched to break through the Toulouse wall and flatten it out in force.
Toulouse beaten with honors
Ugo Mola then decided to launch his forces, with in particular Iosefa Tekori but that was not enough to thwart the offensives of Racing 92. Nolann Le Garrec could have signed the double at the hour mark if he had not not committed a forward. In the process, Sofiane Guitoune made his return after long months of absence due to a rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament of the left knee. Baptiste Germain, for his part, thought he had revived Stade Toulousain by flattening after a clumsy Yoan Tanga coming out of the scrum but the video showed that the scrum half had kicked the ball while he was still in the the hands of the player of Racing 92, which is considered a dangerous game. But the efforts of Ugo Mola’s players ended up being rewarded eight minutes from the end of the meeting. Taking advantage of a conquering ball carried, Selevasio Tolofua was able to flatten on the line and push back the Ile-de-France region a good distance from the offensive bonus. But the main thing is elsewhere for Racing 92 which wins (27-18) and leaves behind the defeat conceded on this same lawn against Montpellier last weekend. Beaten for the second time this season, Toulouse abandons first place in the Top 14 standings at Bordeaux-Bègles, winner of Clermont this Saturday, but keeps a margin of seven points on the third … Racing 92.
TOP 14 / 9TH TRIP
Saturday, October 30, 2021
Toulon – Biarritz: 13-9
Castres – Brive: 23-22
Pau – Stade Français Paris: 18-9
Perpignan – La Rochelle: 22-13
Montpellier – Lyonnais: 30-8
Bordeaux-Begles – Clermont: 25-9
Sunday, October 31, 2021
Race 92 – Toulouse: 27-18