La Rochelle and Bordeaux-Bègles, two of the teams most affected by the World Cup, obtained their first victory of the season at the expense of Lyon (35-14) and Castres (25-23) on Saturday at the occasion of the 2nd day of Top 14 which saw Perpignan fall heavily for the second time.
The Maritimes are on! The relocation of their first reception to Angers due to ongoing expansion work on a stand of their usual Marcel-Deflandre stadium did not throw Ronan O’Gara and his men, logical winners of the LOU, leader at the blow sending.
A nod to this meeting that they played exceptionally in blue without the main executives selected for the Mondial-2023, it was an unsuccessful member of the France group, Brice Dulin, who planted the first banderilla rochelaise. Behind, the power of the young maritime guard ensured and extinguished Lyon’s inclinations, which were too rare, with the only Xavier Mignot capable of concluding, with a double, like last week against Toulon.
The UBB, passed through in numerical superiority in Nanterre against Racing 92 last Saturday, with a touch described as “disastrous” by their new manager Yannick Bru, this time answered present in front of their public of Chaban who saw five tries including three of his proteges. Well off to the break (20-6) to improve their victory, the Girondins with a hinge still in the run-in, ran out of juice at the end and saw the CO die at two points. Madosh Tambwe, who found the promised land during the first act, also saved his camp by resuming Pierre Popelin in extremis at the start of “money-time”.
Pau, frustrated by his defeat on the wire at Castres last weekend, also suffered during his first at the Hameau to get rid of Racing 92, beaten (19-17) despite three tries scored against only one at Béarnais.
Finally, Clermont completed the clear round at home at the start of the day during the shock of the big disappointments of the initial day. Faced with Franck Azéma’s USAP, which has already collected 67 points, ASM took its time to take the score before letting go of the horses after the break with five tries scored and a bonus victory (38-14) which relieved his manager Christophe Urios, stepped up this week to remobilize his people.