European Cup: Racing qualifies for the semi-finals by sweeping Sale

A last leap from the angel... The young fullback Max Spring flies under the posts and concludes the demonstration under the blow of a gong.

Racing easily played off the much too static mountain in front of them.

By dominating Sale (41-22), the Ile-de-France club qualified this Sunday for the semi-finals of the European Cup.

He will face La Rochelle there next Sunday at the Bollaert stadium in Lens.

And he can dream of a new final, the fourth in his history in the Champions Cup, against Toulouse or Leinster who will be opposed on Saturday in Ireland.

For the Ciel et Blanc, the weather was particularly fine under the roof of the Nanterre venue.

Outside too, for that matter.

The air was light, the sun barely discreet.

It was good to go for a walk, to take advantage of these last moments of vacation, of this Sunday which was going by too quickly.

This is perhaps why the silhouettes have remained scattered, tempted by relaxation, sunbathing, walking around the Arche de La Défense.

This is perhaps why there was not the large crowd on the stands of the Racing 92 performance hall, a few tens of meters away.

Not everyone expected in any case for a quarter-final of the Champions Cup.

A match rich in emotions, however.

VICTOIIIRRREEEEEEEE

!

The Sky and White win and go to the semi-finals 🔥

CONGRATS @SaleSharksRugby for a huge game!!!!!

🏉Racing 92 v @staderochelais

Your tickets 🎟️ https://t.co/G6JqLbzuss#R92vSAL #RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/k0Ki5t8Bix

— Racing 92 (@racing92) May 8, 2022

There was everything, in fact, that rugby can offer in the opposition of style.

Racing came out a winner even if it still left some doubts hanging over its synthetic turf at Nanterre.

The Ciel et Blancs, in their red jerseys, ended up finding the key by respecting the instructions they had set themselves: asphyxiate, make dizzy an ogre who was a little too heavy on his legs.

Teddy Thomas' stroke of genius

Dirty, the strong-boned South African English armada has often lost its Latin there.

Kilos and centimeters are not everything, even in rugby.

Racing, mistreated in the showdown, bet on its speed, its inspirations on a green carpet made for that.

The Ile-de-France club has the artists for that.

A stroke of genius from Teddy Thomas, tightrope walker on his wing (42nd), another from Finn Russell, indomitable juggler (50th), that's how to mystify a needy formation, with a narrow view, a simplistic game, in just two moves.

Especially when an insolent kid, Nolann Le Garrec, reigns supreme.

But Racing will not always have such a conciliatory opponent, lowering his head, drunk from a dance he cannot follow.

In the semi-final, you will have to face La Rochelle at the Bollaert stadium in Lens, next Sunday.

The case will not be the same because the Maritimes have many other arguments than the British.

A solid, powerful and mobile pack, an experienced hinge, with a well-oiled game, three-quarters also capable of acting or reacting quickly.

And this is where the question arises.

Can Laurent Travers' players raise their general level of play?

Can they avoid these long beaches where they suffer, seem to ask themselves questions, and collect points?

It is this question, this equation that will have to be resolved.

And it will be much more complicated than getting around a team of colossi with blinkers, even if the prospect of reaching the last four and finding themselves only two games away from this trophy so expensive that they came close to in 2016, 2018 and 2020, necessarily gives wings.