Castres hits hard in Lyon, Toulouse pushes Montpellier

CO's tour de force 

Castres Olympique achieved a great performance this Saturday by going to win in Lyon (14-15), while the Tarnais evolved to fourteen almost the entire match after the expulsion from the 3rd minute of Yann David for a charge to the shoulder on Josua Tuisova's head.

Impressive self-sacrifice and defensive solidity, the Castres have long been round back, competed in the fight before carrying the blow by scoring by Palis (75th).

The LOU reduced the gap at the end of the match by scoring by Ngatai (80th).

First game at the head of the CO for Pierre-Henry Broncan, promoted to coach this week, and first coup.

La Rochelle really cuts a boss

La Rochelle closed the first leg on Saturday with a new major success in Agen (43-13) which allowed it to take the lead in the middle of the championship and to position itself as a real candidate for Brennus.

There was no photo between the maritime leader, concerned, determined, who confirmed his good dispositions, and the red lantern from Agen who had the merit of scoring the first and the last try of this match without suspense, marked by a treble from Pierre Bourgarit and a double from Grégory Alldritt.

In total, for their third victory of the season out of Marcel-Deflandre, Jono Gibbes' men have reached the promised land of their hosts, still fanny, six times in this championship, leaving little room for the weak.

If the SUA had deluded almost half time at Racing 92 before exploding last week, it only lasted a quarter of an hour this time, the time for the La Rochelle machine to adjust and reach the break with already the offensive bonus in its purse (8-29). 

The good start of the players of Régis Sonnes was rewarded by a try from Paul Abadie on a nice interior delivery from Jean-Marcelin Buttin (4th), followed by a penalty from Raphaël Lagarde (8-0) which woke up the leader.

On a penalty, Bourgarit rewarded the work of his family (14th), as he will do two other times (34th, 40th + 1) after seeing Wiian Liebenberg score after a scrum at five meters (21st).

The lone rider of the yellow and black continued after the break with a double from Captain Alldritt on two penalties, a fashionable weapon of the day in Armandie, before the international partners put themselves in management and rotation mode, barely upset by the test of honor scored by Lagarde (78th) who barely masked the abyssal gap between these two formations.

Toulouse passes in force in Montpellier

Stade Toulousain, decisive at the end of the match thanks to its internationals, consolidated its second place by winning (16-9) Saturday in Montpellier, in full doubt, during the 13th day of Top 14. The Toulousains continue a fifth consecutive victory in Top 14, the seventh in all competitions, and continue their formidable momentum.

Ugo Mola's plan worked perfectly.

By betting on the freshness of the internationals Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Julien Marchand ... entered in the heart of the second period (55th), the Toulouse coach has won his bet and allowed his team to obtain a logical victory.

Nine minutes from the end of a long uncertain and closed match (9-9), the last French champion scored the only try of the match through the number 8 Antoine Miquel (71), in the relay of a breakaway from the international scrum-half Dupont.

Montpellier, which has won only one of the last seven games, plunges into turmoil.

He is only a small point ahead of Castres, classified in the penultimate place, and worries about the rest of the season.

Eliminated from the European Cup, left behind in the league and beaten for the third time at home, he has had another complicated season since his failure in the championship final in 2018. Sports manager Xavier Garbajosa, who replaced Vern Cotter at the summer 2019, has obviously not found the key to relaunch a team that has many internationals.

Here he is again at the foot of the wall before two consecutive trips to Lyon, Wednesday in a late match, and in Brive on Sunday.

Until the 71st minute, Montpellier was on a par with Toulouse, but never managed to force the opposing lock, lacking both precision and serenity in his game. Master of possession and occupation from the field, the MHR fell on the solid defense of Toulouse.

During a first period, closed, his powerful forwards hardly ever found the opening.

Due to lack of accuracy, they spoiled one or two opportunities, especially during the yellow card of pillar Clément Castets (21).

And exposed themselves to the efficiency and determination of the Toulouse bench.

Read also

• Calendar and results Top 14