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The show of strength of the Rochelais pack
"A caricature," replied Laurent Travers when he was presented with this semi-final as a match in the match between the La Rochelle pack and the three-quarters of Ile-de-France. Yet this is what happened. A domination of the maritime forwards, more aggressive in collisions (Claassen and Kolingar, marked, had to come out on bleeding), superior in closed scrum for a handful of penalties collected in this showdown. In agony in conquest, the forwards of Racing could not supply their Galacticos who found themselves in turn on the back. At the hour mark, with Stade Rochelais leading 19-6, the gigantic downpour that poured through the open roof of the Pierre-Mauroy stadium, sounded the end of Racing's hopes.The playing conditions thus slowed down definitely favored the despotic pack of La Rochelle.
Live: Top 14: historic, La Rochelle has Racing and will play the first final in its history
West and Retière make the difference
The New Zealand opener from La Rochelle had missed his Champions Cup final, among other things with a terrible lack of success against the pole vaults.
Against Racing, Ihaia West recovered.
A near-flawless footing (5/6, 14 points), including the transformation completely into a corner.
And a correctness in his role of master to play which contrasted with the choices, regularly strange, of his vis-à-vis Finn Russell.
The other Rochelais to have highlighted offensively is winger Arthur Retière.
Often barred this season, he took advantage of the many forfeits to start the meeting.
And register a chalkboard essay.
Small over Dulin and Retière, yet far from being the largest, grabs the ball in the nose and beard of Maxime Machenaud and Teddy Thomas, to flatten in a corner.
The public finds its voice
They were only 5000 but they made enough noise so that we again taste with delight an atmosphere more in keeping with the posters of the final phase. Racing drums had been authorized but it was the Stade Rochelais choirs who sang louder, quickly taking over like their team. To sing, from the hour of play, thunderous "Here, here, it's La Rochelle". Note that the League, which organizes these finals matches, had intelligently taken care to disseminate the supporters in three large stands. For social distancing and respected barrier gestures, unlike the Stade de France which, during the recent France-Bulgaria, had gathered the 5,000 supporters of the Blues of football in the same end of the stand ... And, yet,the public authorities will undoubtedly not grant the Top 14 the exemption requested for a final, next Friday, in front of 15,000 spectators ...
Scratches
The conquest of Racing in agony
A crushed closed scrum, throws lost in touch, the battle of the rucks lost.
The forwards of Racing suffered martyrdom against the La Rochelle phalanx, harsher and more determined.
One example among ten, on this penalty played by hand by Colombe in the last quarter of an hour.
The pillar charges and it is Dany Priso who snatches the ball in the middle of the forwards of Racing, confused, sluggish.
Machenaud plunges into the dark
Behind a dominated pack, the scrum half and Racing captain ended up disappearing body and soul.
Two penalties succeeded at the start of the match and curtain.
The Ciel-et-Blancs scored their last points in the… 14th minute!
Nothing more afterwards.
Not far from being unprecedented in a semi-final of Top 14. From the 48th minute, manager Laurent Travers chose to leave his captain, who had only completed one race with the ball in hand, to bring in Teddy Iribaren .
Who has not been able to reverse an already too heavy trend ...
To read also: Mola-Urios: a strong opposition of styles
Fickou-Thomas, the Galacticos On
Thursday, they seemed to be laughing in advance at the good tricks they were going to play at the back line of Stade Rochelais, decimated by forfeits (Doumayrou, Botia, Aguillon, Sinzelle). The two friends had convinced Jacky Lorenzetti to associate them. Gaël Fickou left Stade Français during the season, Teddy Thomas, whose contract was not to be extended, remained. They had to set it on fire, they took the water. The winger, despite five defenders beaten far from the scoring area, never sowed danger. The center, him, was scooped in defense. And to think that Fickou had chosen to abandon “his Parisian brothers” in mid-April to join Racing, a more credible candidate for a title of champion of France…
