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Top 14: a Racing derby - Stade Français in the play-offs

2021-06-06T14:03:55.003Z


The capital club snatched its qualification for the final phase by winning in Bayonne (12-9). He will challenge his neighbor Racing 92


Like a snub, or the icing on a big Parisian cake. Stade Français snatched their qualification for the play-offs by winning in Bayonne (12-9), and they will face the… Racing 92 at Paris La Défense Arena on Friday evening. This is the epilogue of a crazy evening that saw just about all the possible reversals of the situation during this final day of the Top 14 this Saturday night. The tickets were distributed, at the end of the suspense. Toulouse and La Rochelle are in the semi-finals. Bordeaux-Bègles will welcome Clermont in the other dam and Bayonne will play its survival in the elite in Biarritz next Saturday, during another derby which promises to be just as spicy.

Stade Français has therefore saved its season by aligning a sixth consecutive victory. Nothing was easy against the Basques who wanted at all costs to avoid the scenario of a "muerte" match at the Aguilera stadium against "the enemy" from Biarritz. “We were tense,” says opener Joris Segonds, who missed three penalties in a good position including one of the twenty-two meters facing the posts. There were a lot of mistakes and mistakes, but we succeeded. No one believed in us. We were criticized and finally we qualified. "In the locker room, songs and dances greeted this new release. The Parisians, carried by an interior fire which recalls their epic until the shield of Brennus, in 2015, are not afraid of anyone now. Especially not Racing, which a wink of fate has placed in their path.

Gonzalo Quesada and his men will also find an old acquaintance facing them on Friday evening, on the synthetic turf of Paris La Défense Arena. Gaël Fickou, the defector, passed from one camp to another, from Parisians to Ile-de-France residents in the middle of the championship, in mid-April, in order to reduce the payroll of the Stade Français, will obviously be the center of attention. He had not played in the derby won by the capital team (35-29) at La Défense on May 1, due to an agreement between the two clubs. This time, he will be there. “We fulfilled our contract, estimates the three-quarters international, but they, they went up to sixth place. We will prepare as best we can. The main thing is to be ready. "

Racing 92 does not have much to be ashamed of on this last day. Easy winner, with the offensive bonus, from Brive (55-12) to Paris La Défense Arena, he has long been in a position to qualify directly for the semi-finals. If the Toulouse Stadium, dominating Bordeaux-Bègles (21-10) in Gironde has never let go of its throne, La Rochelle, beaten in Clermont (25-20), snatched the defensive bonus in extremis and its qualification by the same opportunity, leaving the Ciel et Blanc to mull over the points lost throughout this season. "What depended on us, we got it," estimates the Ile-de-France manager Laurent Travers. We had to win and win well, we did it. La Rochelle and Toulouse did the right thing on their side, there is no reason to go back on it. It's up to us to do what it takes to go to Lille,in the semi-finals. It's a derby in the play-offs, for sure, but what matters is to win: whoever does not win will be on vacation. There is a derby, we know. We will do with it. After 26 days, we win 17 matches, like La Rochelle, like Toulouse. But we are third. It's up to us to do what it takes to go to the semi-finals. "

Stade Français and Racing 92 have already met in the qualifying play-off for the semi-finals.

It was in 2015. The situation was the opposite.

The Parisians, better classified, welcomed the Ciel et Blanc at the Jean-Bouin stadium.

They had made short work of it (38-15) before taking off and taking down Brennus' shield ...

The program of the final phase

Dams.

Friday June 11, 8:45 p.m.: Racing 92 (3rd) - Stade Français (6th).

Saturday June 12, 8:45 p.m .: Bordeaux-Bègles (4th) - Clermont (5th).

Semi-finals in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (June 18 and 19).

Toulouse (1st) - Bordeaux-Bègles or Clermont;

La Rochelle (2nd) - Racing 92 or Stade Français.

Final on June 25 at the Stade de France

Source: leparis

All sports articles on 2021-06-06

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