Attention offensive festival expected on the ultra-fast lawn of Paris La Défense Arena (this Sunday, 4 p.m., Canal + and Rugby +).
Racing 92, which has just passed 49 points in the European Cup to the Harlequins in London and remains on four consecutive successes in the championship, appears oversized with its triumphant youth (Dupichot, Colombes, Baubigny) and its squad of internationals (Russell, Imhoff, Beale) when welcoming the Red Lantern Agen.
This 12th day of the Top 14 is part of the traditional Boxing Day dear to French rugby, interspersed between Christmas and New Year's Day.
Did you say trap match?
The men of manager Laurent Travers will have for one and only ambition to garner five points (victory with the bonus).
Because it is hard to imagine how Agen, a solid red lantern, always looking for a first success after eleven days of the championship, could put up a few arguments.
We can count on the Ile-de-France coach to have warned his players against a sin of pride that would turn the meeting into a trap match.
The sluggish performance in Nanterre against Pau on November 7 (24-22) sounds like a reminder.
An opportunity to be seized.
Racing 92, third in the Top 14 with 32 points and which has one game less than La Rochelle (35) and Toulouse (33) which lead the dance, has a good opportunity to consolidate its place on the podium.
Because the Toulouse Stadium, which receives an ambitious team from Union-Bordeaux Bègles could leave some feathers in this duel.
The 2019 French champion will undoubtedly run out of rhythm after the cancellation of his European Cup match last week.
It will turn.
Obliged to spare its troops and to grant its players the legal rest periods, the Alto-Sequanese club granted a week of vacation to six players: Kolingar, Taofifenua, Bird, Le Roux, Chouzenoux, Szebo.
Agen under pressure.
The Lot-et-Garonne club have just revealed that two of their players were the subject of disciplinary proceedings after fighting between them in Italy during the trip to the European Cup.
If the match against Treviso had finally been canceled at the last moment after cases of Covid in the transalpine ranks, the Agenais had still moved.
It was after having waited a long time for their flight back to the airport and having consumed some alcohol that an altercation broke out in the departure lounge between the two players.
The two offenders are temporarily suspended for the trip to Hauts-de-Seine and the reception of La Rochelle.
The starting XV
Beale - Dupichot, Klemenczak, Chavancy, Imhoff, Trinh-Duc or Russell (o.), Le Garrec (m.) - Diallo, Joseph, Tanga - Ryan, Palu or Jones - Colombes, Baubigny, Ben Arous.
Entr.
:
Cross