The Top 14 briefly resumes service on Saturday for a 20th day, not without challenges, stuck between two weeks of break and two others devoted to the European Cups.
And time is running out, there are only seven days left to determine the six qualified for the final phase and, to the poorly classified, to save their place in the elite.
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Ranking Top 14
At the top of the standings, Stade Toulousain, long neck-and-neck with La Rochelle and Racing 92 at the top of the standings, took advantage of the missteps of its competitors to build up a small cushion of seven points ahead.
A break to be confirmed this weekend against Montpellier before going to challenge the Irish from Munster in the European Cup.
"The sprint is on for the qualification (in the final stages) and the slightest misstep reshuffles the cards," warned Toulouse coach Ugo Mola, suspicious before welcoming the MHR, "a team that is not at its best. place at the bottom of the ranking ”.
The clubs still deprived of their internationals mobilized by France-Scotland
The Reds and Blacks will be deprived of their Blues, including the Dupont-Ntamack hinge, associated Friday night against Scotland.
But the Haut-Garonnais club has proven since the start of the Tournament that it has enough talent in reserve to deal with the duplicates.
Especially since Montpellier, still concerned by the maintenance despite a clear regain of form (11th), will also have to deal with the absences of its executives Mohamed Haouas, Paul Willemse, Arthur Vincent and Anthony Bouthier.
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The truce will undoubtedly have done the greatest good for La Rochelle, which seemed to mark the occasion physically with two consecutive defeats against Toulouse (14-11) and Castres (22-15).
Without their Swiss army knife Jérémy Sinzelle, injured in a knee, nor their internationals Uini Atonio, Grégory Alldritt and Brice Dulin, the Maritimes (2nd) will try to restart the forward march as the final stages approach.
Problem: they travel to a serious client, Bordeaux-Bègles (5th), who has lost only once this season in the league on his lawn in Chaban-Delmas and who will want to mark the spirits against a direct opponent .
If successful, the Girondins could come back on the heels of their "neighbor" on the Atlantic coast.
A Lyon-Toulon that is worth a lot for the Top 6
The Saturday night poster will also be worth a lot in the perspective of the final stages between Lyon (7th) and Toulon, which is ahead of it by five points on the last jump seat of the top 6. Barely with duplicates and many absences due to injuries, the RCT had found some colors against Racing (25-21) at the same time as his Blues Louis Carbonel, Baptiste Serin and Gabin Villière.
But the latter will still miss the call for the trip to the field of LOU, which will have to chain a third success after those in Toulouse (31-23) and Bayonne (28-20) in order to stay hooked to the right wagon.
Stade Français Paris (8th) could take advantage of it behind to get closer, provided they defeat Clermont (4th) in his Jean Bouin stadium, where the Parisians are much more comfortable than away this season. .
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Bayonne leaves the red zone by correcting Agen
At the bottom of the standings, three complicated matches await the three teams in the fight to avoid the penultimate place in the barrage, relegation having long been promised to Agen who has 19 defeats in as many days.
While Montpellier (11th) moves to the Toulouse leader, Pau (13th) goes to Castres (9th), whose maintenance is now almost assured after a complicated first half of the season.
Bayonne (12th) will play for its part at home, but its task will nonetheless be raised against Racing (3rd), candidate for the title.
Enough to potentially do business for Brive (10th), who will have the opportunity to take off by receiving the red lantern, Agen, already condemned to Pro D2 with 19 defeats in as many outings.
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