Top 14: why Stade Toulousain rules the water in La Rochelle

The law of the playoffs… A week after breaking a 20-year scarcity at Auvergne, Toulousains saw the Rochelais end the “Red and Black” hegemony in their duel, those who won the last eight official matches.

We won’t go so far as to say that the leader awarded this prize to the Maritimes, but it must be admitted that, after his increasing success at Clermont, he had no pressing need to leave and fight for European champions. . Especially ahead of the opening, to be precise, a fateful two weeks on the continental scene.

A reverse scrum

Therefore, the rearranged teams lined up inappropriately and the black beast was dyed red again last night at Marcel-Deflandre. A bit of yellow also to blend into the background… It’s hard to avoid penalties when you’re constantly under pressure as expected – the opening score conceded at kick-off –, the balloon – and can’t hold it in. rare stuff – and your scrum finds itself almost systematically upside down.

Duprat took the first casualty of the stadium pack’s dire start to the sector (4 penalties conceded in first 18 minutes) with an early replacement by Baille (23) to try to reverse the trend. The international left pillar did nothing as if he pinned down the Haut-Garonne building well as soon as he came back his team tried coolly Sazy pointed to the goal that prevailed after a series of pick and go results resulting from 50/22 from Dulin (13- 0.25).

He then found himself reduced to 14 after a new penalty was awarded to Faumuina (29) then to 13, as at the end of the game at the Michelin, for a high tackle by Romain Ntamack on Paul Boudehent (31).

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Top 14: Stade Toulousain, corrected in La Rochelle, sees Stade Français bounce back

Paradoxical as it may seem, La Rochelle will have little to gain from this double numerical advantage. At least for now, the hard work put in by Alldritt’s teammates finally paid off during the second half where the hosts proved to be as undisciplined as before (10 new penalties in addition to the first 9 in half, including 3 short stories at close range).

La Rochelle lost the bonus

While the action piece of inspiration at Ntamack’s feet and Jaminet’s recovery could have kept any semblance of hope (44), Rochelais, dominating despite being less impressive than usual and who had lost many feathers in the battle (Bourgarit , Atonio, Paul Boudehent) made the breakthrough thanks to Pierre Boudehent after the lead new top scrum (23-0, 62).

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REPLAY. La Rochelle-Stade Toulousain: Toulouse fell hard at the Maritimes! Relive the match movie

The only problem at the end of the game was whether Toulouse would manage to prevent the “Yellows and Blacks” from winning the offensive bonus. Something they managed to do by holding out for five minutes on the opponents’ “22”, by conclusion and as a symbol of La Rochelle’s hero from Marseille, Arthur Retière, being recognized as an opponent that perhaps never existed. ).

What’s interesting is the slight positivity of an extremely dull night in which Rochelais would have had the last word with Hatherell after a fresh series of melees (30-7, 80+2).

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