Tops / Flops Toulon-La Rochelle: Electric West, Mayol has fallen

Tops

West, X factor at Stade Rochelais

It is from him that the light came.

After a closed first act and won by the defenses, Ihaia West animated the debates by offering the first try of the match on a plate to his winger Raymond Rhule, with a transverse to the millimeter foot (46th).

Solid in his role of scorer (17 points), the opener from La Rochelle was one of the great architects of the success of his family, who offered themselves the scalp of a first "big", outside.

Gourdon, the roaring 200th

He had entered alone in the lead on Mayol's lawn.

For his 200th match in the Rochelle jersey, Kévin Gourdon delivered a new high-flying copy, in line with his successful start to the season.

Imperial in the ruck zones, the third-row was also illustrated by his ability to advance his team with the ball in hand, with several sharp runs.

Stade Rochelais asserts itself in view of the final stages

Match after match, the Maritimes confirm their status as a juggernaut in this Top 14. With this feat in Mayol, a week after coming very close to a success against Racing 92 at the 'Arena, Jono Gibbes' men go back to second place (54 points) and are now 9 points ahead of their evening opponent, the first provisional qualifier in the finals.

The best defense of the Top 14 (263 points conceded) also showed the depth of its workforce despite the absence of several executives called in the blues (Aldritt, Dulin, Atonio, Bourgarit).

Flops

Mayol fell

The Toulonnais had almost forgotten what the taste of a home defeat represented.

After a series of 15 consecutive games without defeat at Mayol in Top 14 and 21 in all competitions, the Rouge et Noir fell into their setting, where they had not lost since September 2019 and a defeat against Lou.

Faced with brave Rochelais, realistic in their strong times and almost impermeable in defense, Patrice Collazo's men bit the dust and missed a great opportunity to get closer to the top of the standings.

Without 10 by profession, the game of the RCT lacked bite

With the absences of Louis Carbonel and Baptiste Serin, retained with the XV of France and the injury of Anthony Belleau since the start of the season, the experienced New Zealanders Ma ' a Nonu in the first period then Isaia Toeava in the second, struggled to appropriate the position of opener, unusual for them.

Clumsy in their game at the foot of occupation, with in particular penalty not found, their game revivals were too often readable for the La Rochelle defense, which did not ask for so much.

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• Top 14 Ranking