A week after knocking down the Toulouse champion (27-18), Racing 92 was surprised on the lawn of Brive (12-10).
Pushed into engagement and too undisciplined, the Ile-de-France club was logically beaten for the fourth time this season, after setbacks against Biarritz, Clermont and Montpellier.
A poor performance that knocked Laurent Travers' men off the podium.
The test at the very end of the match of Anthime Hemery nevertheless allows them to hang on to the defensive bonus.
Opposite, the Brive team, impeccable defensively, put an end to a series of four defeats in a row and blow a little in the standings.
What you must remember
Faced with a team from Brive in a state of emergency, with four losses in a row and a tenth place in the standings at kick-off, Racing 92 expected a trap match.
Under pressure from entry, the Ile-de-France club failed to respond to the intensity imposed by its opponent, yet deprived of 19 players between the injured and the internationals.
From the third minute of play, a penalty by Enzo Hervé, after a fault by Nolann Le Garrec (left with an injury before the break), rewarded the excellent Brivist start.
Much too undisciplined thereafter and sanctioned with a yellow card following a dangerous clearing of Luke Jones (12th), the formation of Laurent Travers conceded new points, still on penalties from Enzo Hervé, in great success facing the posts. Logically led by twelve points at the end of the first act with zero points on the clock, she could regret her lack of efficiency on her only real opportunity, when Bernard Le Roux propelled into the in-goal was deprived of a try after a excellent defensive gesture from Joris Jurand. Like a turning point.
Upon returning from the locker room, the Ile-de-France residents continued to break their teeth on the defense of Brive, already very solid last Saturday in Castres (23-22) despite the defeat, and even more in its den where it conceded only three tries since the start of the season.
It took more than an hour to see the first points in Ile-de-France, after a penalty from Antoine Gibert.
And the last seconds for the only test of Racing 92 through Anthime Hemery.
Enough to hook the defensive bonus but too late nonetheless to reverse a match generally mastered by the training of Jeremy Davidson who finds the smile and air in the standings.
Racing 92, now fifth in the Top 14, will have to wait for November 28 and the reception of Bordeaux-Bègles to redeem themselves.
The player: Enzo Hervé
Advantage to defense… or offense?
If the saving gesture of Joris Jurand on Bernard Le Roux before the break undoubtedly changed the course of the meeting, the long-awaited Brivist renaissance came through the game at the foot of his opening half, Enzo Hervé, 23 years old.
True boss of the game last season, the Frenchman was very effective against the posts, with twelve points scored for a single failure, and played his role as conductor perfectly.
He also often allowed his team to break free when his opponent was getting more insistent.
The number: 5
All the series have an end… To regain the last Brivist victory against Racing 92, we had to go back five years.
It was October 1, 2016, still on his lawn (25-16).
Since then, the team remained on six defeats in a row against the Ile-de-France club.