Tops
The French winger is obviously the man of the day in the Top 14. For his first start in front of his new audience of Chaban-Delmas, the number 14 of the UBB offered himself a historic quadruple in the first period (2nd, 18th , 33rd, 39th) to launch his team towards a card against Perpignan (46-22). Elusive and efficient, Penaud equaled the record of Gabriel Lacroix who had also scored four tries before the break, but in just 11 minutes during a La Rochelle-Bayonne in May 2020. The icing on the (big) cake, the rookie flagship of Bordeaux-Bègles becomes the top scorer in the Top 14 (5 tries) in just three matches played. Impressive.
Leader this morning, the Stade Français did not exist at the Hameau stadium, suffering a heavy setback with a score of 30 to 6. The fault of a team from the Section Paloise in full confidence and airtight in defense. The Parisians came across a green wall, which took advantage of the slightest opportunity to score thanks to the foot of Joe Simmonds (15 points) and three tries signed Zegueur, Capelli and Whitelock. Fifth victory in as many matches at home for Pau, who pockets the offensive bonus and regains the throne of the Top 14 while awaiting La Rochelle-Racing 92 scheduled for Sunday evening.
In its Matmut Stadium Gerland stadium, Lyon ended its series of three consecutive defeats by dominating Bayonne (42-29), despite a slump which could have been costly at the start of the second half. Well ahead after 45 minutes (24-3), the Lyonnais saw the Basques come back to five points (27-22) thanks to three tries in quick succession. But without panicking, Baptiste Couilloud and his teammates regained control of the match and the lead with a double from Thibaut Regard and a great Paddy Jackson at the foot. This victory, certainly not improved, will do a lot of good for the heads of Rhone, especially against a direct competitor.
FLOPS
Upended behind the scenes this week, with the arrival of Bernard Laporte as director of rugby and a new staff in place (Patrice Collazo, Vincent Etcheto and Christian Labit), Montpellier did not raise its head on the pitch. At home against promoted Oyonnax, the MHR suffered its seventh consecutive setback (21-26) and is sinking into crisis. Proof of their current lack of confidence, the Héraultais were unable to capitalize on their meager lead at the start of the match (7-0 then 14-7) before cracking as the minutes passed. The Oyonnaxiens took advantage of the passivity of the defense of the 2022 French champion, caught short on two plays behind the back (tests by Farrell and Salles). Red lantern after eight days, Montpellier finds itself with its back to the wall.
If Perpignan managed to score four tries in Bordeaux, it mainly benefited from the decompression of UBB, who quickly made the match easy. Very quickly overtaken by the Bordeaux speed symbolized by Damian Penaud, the USAP experienced an ordeal and never competed with its opponent, the score already being 17-0 after a quarter of an hour. Same observation of failure for Stade Français, dominated in all areas of the game in Pau. Without a solution, the “Pink Army” only scored six small points by Joris Segonds. She leaves Béarn with her heaviest defeat of the season, a week after the disappointment of the Paris derby, lost to Racing 82 at the end of an already disappointing performance.