TOPS
The kings of photo finish
Certainly, very clever the one who will manage to maintain his advantage until the final whistle against Racing 92. As against Saracens (19-15), against Stade Français (27-25), against in the Section Paloise (24-22), against Brive (23-19) or against Bordeaux (17-12), Racing 92 made use of all its mental strength and determination to wrest the decision in the last quarter of hour.
Impressive serenity, control and accuracy, the Ciel et Blanc have reversed the trend to offer themselves a new success against a direct contender in the final stages.
Strong.
Racing traveled so well
Clermont was however warned, but the Ile-de-France residents have struck again.
Already winners 4 times away from their bases, Camille Chat's teammates have done it again, offering themselves a 5th success of the season in 7 trips in the league.
Stunning statistics, which make Racing the best team away from the first half of the season, with Stade Toulousain (22 pts).
Coaching Travers
Led by 7 points at the break (9-16), Racing has never really shown any sign of panic.
Sure of its strength, the Ile-de-France club has calmly built its success, relying on its strong men of the moment, but also on a high-quality bench, symbolized by the excellent Teddy Baubigny, who entered shortly before the hour of play ( 58e).
These are also the four changes at the start of the second half (49th: Gogichashvili, Palu, Diallo and Oz) which revitalized Racing, dominating in closed scrum.
FLOPS
The conquest of Clermont at bay
This is obviously the real black spot of this meeting.
Clermont posted a waste screaming in conquest, losing an incalculable number of touches (5) and being constantly sanctioned in scrum.
And, if Racing shone in this last sector (9 scrums won), the ASM again displayed its current difficulties in the sector, never managing to resolve its problems.
It is also consecutively to two of them that the opposing tests came (Chouzenoux 55th, Zebo 73rd), not to mention the yellow card inflicted on Rabah Slimani (55th), again caught in melee.
"We were caught on the basics", summed up Franck Azéma at the microphone of Canal + at the end of the meeting.
Basics that it would be time for the ASM to review, because, with this third consecutive defeat, the hour becomes serious ...
The problems continue at home
Long considered an impregnable fortress, the Michelin, deprived of its supporters, is no longer so scary.
Already surprised by Racing last September as part of the Champions Cup, Clermont once again gave in on his land this Sunday.
And after the defeats against Montpellier (15-21) and Munster (31-39), this is the fourth loss at home in all competitions for the Jaunards since September.
Way too much for the usual ASM standards.
The rear few in sight
Under the snow of Clermont, in a rough game, where the forwards were illustrated, there was very little room for the rear of the two teams.
If the triangle Penaud, Matsushima and Raka had very few offensive balls to put in their mouths, Taofifenua, Imhoff and Zebo did not have much more.
It was also at the very end of the match that Imhoff and Zebo had the opportunity to put themselves forward, on the only real test opportunity in the current game of Ciel et Blanc (74th).
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Top 14: Calendar and Results