Almost all the meetings proposed this Sunday evening had an issue. Until the end, some were undecided. The rest of the competition, starting next weekend with the play-offs, already promises to be exciting.
Two teams, Castres and Montpellierare directly qualified for the semi-finals, in two weeks.
Bordeaux-Bègles – Racing et Toulouse – La Rochelle will be the posters for the play-offs next weekend. At the same time, Perpignan will challenge Mont-de-Marsan, Pro D2 finalist, to stay in the Top 14. Brive flees in extremis.
Biarritz was already relegated even before this last day. In Pro B, theRowing Bayonnewho clearly dominated (49-20) Mont-de-Marsan this Sunday, will return to the Top 14 next season after only one season on the lower floor.
Racing 92, 6th and last to qualify for the play-offs before the match, had everything to lose on its home ground at Paris La Défense Arena. A home defeat sent Henry Chavancy and his teammates on vacation. The Toulonnais, who never entered the Top 6 and who were even red lantern in February, take the game on their own and impose the physical challenge (8-13 at the break). The Racingmen, semi-finalists of the last European Cup, pass in front (21-16) by Juan Imhoff on an error from Var (21-16).
In the fight to join the semi-finals directly, Castres held the rope for a long time. On the lawn of Pau, which had nothing more to fear or to hope for, the Tarnais showed themselves to be serious by very quickly scoring a first try by the Fijian Botitu. At the break, they went from play-offs to leader in the standings, Montpellier and Bordeaux-Bègles being led respectively to Clermont and Perpignan. The rest confirms their great evening with a very important success in Béarn (26-16).
For their last game in the colors of Clermont, Morgan Parra, who will join Stade Français next season, and Camille Lopez, future player of Bayonne, make life difficult for Montpellier, leaders before playing. The Auvergnats keep a short lead in front of their public (20-15).
The LOU misses the inevitable
In Perpignan, Bordeaux-Bègles lost their place as semi-finalist despite two tries. In the last five minutes, the Unionists failed to contain the fury of the Sang et Or who bravely played their all out to avoid the dams of the maintenance (22-15).
In the other matches, the clash between Lyon and La Rochelle, recent winners of the Challenge Cup and the European Cup, initially turned to the advantage of the Rhodaniens but very quickly the Rochelais returned to level and passed in front. The end of the match is intense, Lyon pushes and misses the inevitable (26-29).
At Jean-Bouin, the Stade Français ended its very average season with a defeat against Brive (17-33), despite a good start to the game by Hamdaoui. The Brivistes remain among the Great. Finally, Toulouse regaled against Biarritz by scoring twelve tries against poor Basques who knew they were already condemned to the Pro D2 (80-7). For his farewell, Maxime Médard scored his 92nd try in the red and black jersey.
The results of the 26th and final day: Racing 92 – Toulon 21-16; Stade Français – Brive 17-33; Pau-Castres 16-26; Lyon-La Rochelle 26-29; Clermont-Montpellier 20-15; Perpignan – Bordeaux-Begles 22-15; Toulouse-Biarritz 80-7.
The program play-offs (June 11 and 12): Bordeaux-Bègles – Racing 92; Toulouse-La Rochelle.
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