Top 14: for Racing, the derby will be crucial in the race for the finals

Not the slightest electricity in the air.

The Ciel et Blancs are finishing their training on their synthetic turf in their Paris La Défense Arena performance hall this Thursday at noon, and the voices that are raised are more those of grown-up children.

The third line Wenceslas Lauret hides in the recess of a wall opening onto the locker room and surprises his teammates one by one with “Ooh!

»Followed by loud bursts of laughter.

The atmosphere is light two days before the derby against the Stade Français, in the same place, Saturday (2 p.m.).

The postponement of the match two weeks ago due to contact cases among the Racingmen, the express transfer, in the wake, of the center of the XV of France Gaël Fickou, passing from one club to another as easily as a transfer banking (he will not compete in the derby according to an arrangement between the two parties), have in no way altered the progress of Ile-de-France residents, obsessed with the shield of Brennus since their elimination in the European Cup.

Finn Russell back

“It's a match among the twenty-six of the regular phase, launches Laurent Travers, manager of the Hauts-de-Seine team. Behind, we will have four left (Editor's note: against Clermont, Pau, Agen and Brive) and our ambition is to qualify for the final phase by finishing in the top six. This is factual. Third in the standings, Racing is eight points behind La Rochelle, runner-up to Toulouse, and therefore seems quite far from the two qualifying places directly for the semi-finals. Its main concern, above all, is to put back on track a mechanism seized in recent weeks. The elimination against Bordeaux-Bègles (24-21) in the quarter-final of the European Cup three weeks ago caused physical and psychological damage as the defeat in Toulouse (34-16), last weekend , did not look after.

A good dozen players are still on the table to heal their wounds. Not the Scottish international opener Finn Russell, who will return to the Ciel et Blancs after serving a three-week suspension for a dangerous move during France - Scotland on March 29. "The derby is a special match, I felt it when I arrived three years ago," he said. It's important for the club. It's going to be a big game and we've prepared for it. A shock behind closed doors since the public will not be allowed to return until May 19, respecting a tonnage of 800 spectators. Paris La Défense Arena will open its doors next Monday, however, turning into a vaccination center. The room will accommodate all people over 60 years old and those between 50 and 54 years old suffering from co-morbidities,as well as those between 18 and 74 years old at very high risk of developing a severe form of Covid-19. "We will ask if we can take the opportunity to be vaccinated, advance Laurent Travers. But we are not a priority. The most important thing is to vaccinate those who need it most. "