Pau and the Baabaas in the Supersevens half, like Monaco and Racing 92
To pass the obstacle of the quarter-finals of this In Extenso Supersevens, having one or more rugby sevens specialists in its ranks was clearly an X factor, this Saturday afternoon at the Paris Défense Arena. In Racing 92, filled with more than 20,000 spectators, the favorites, carried by their best players, were there.
Two of the quarterback posters were contested until the end. Monaco defeated Stade Rochelais 17-12, in a great tussle. Racing 92 defeated Biarritz (22-17), approaching the equalizer at the end of the match. In these evenings, it was the committed stars who turned everything upside down. Cecil Afrika, best player in the world in 2011, offered Dan Norton a try, before signing a brace before and after the break (7th, 10th) to overtake the Maritimes. At 33, all in feints and experience, the South African imposed his mastery of the game at 7.
Racing side, it is again the headliner, Teddy Thomas, who was sparkling. And both in attack and defense! The international winger was doubly decisive. First by key passes over two trials, before imitating Afrika, with a double on races of 50m … At the very end of the game, it is a defensive return on a Biarrot who was leaving for the trial who left Racing ahead.
The Colombet-Barka duo will be followed in the semi-finals
In the last two quarter-finals, the weight of the specialists of rugby sevens also weighed with all its weight. Mathias Colombet, the Pau winger from this rugby so different from the XV, was terrifying against Toulon (35-14). Passage of arms and perfect interior delivery for Rayne Barka (author of a hat-trick!), Interval price to score, aerial taps on the references, the usual number 14 of the Section allowed his team to win easily . In the wake of their teammate, Barka and Antoine Hastoy were excellent. Special mention to the first, whose duet with Colombet was at the base of Béarn’s success.
Finally, the Baabaas Sevens, made up of several internationals from France 7 (Laugel, Mignot, Parez-Edo, Trouabal) atomized Clermont (34-12, 24-0 at the break). Joachim Trouabal signed a triple, at the end of his legs of fire. In the semi-finals, Monaco will be opposed to Racing, when the Section faces the Baabaas.