“We have no margin”: Stade Français falls into line after its defeat against Toulon in the Top 14

We were expecting “Saturday Night Fever” for this prime time gala match between the Stade Français and Toulon, but instead we saw a bad remake of “Lost Illusions”.

The Parisian club fell at home against the RCT (12-17), for the first time this season, for this 11th day of the Top 14. At a flattering 2nd place in the standings before this shock, Gonzalo Quesada's players demoted to 4th place this Saturday, and are under threat from Lyon and Racing who are both playing at home this Sunday.

The top 6 could be quickly compromised, as the coming of the ogre from La Rochelle, European champion and impressive against Castres (53-7 victory earlier in the afternoon) is looming next Saturday… Not really reassuring.

“We clearly saw in the second half that we need to be at 100% of our potential to compete.

As soon as we are not there, it is not enough.

We can't get out of the game for a few minutes against big teams like Toulon.

We have no margin, ”explained Gonzalo Quesada after the match.

The Argentine manager, chambered all week after the defeat of his compatriots at the Football World Cup against Saudi Arabia, will not even have had the opportunity to savor the return to grace of Messi and his family, winners of the Mexico.

At the same time, his players bent under the battering of the Varois of Facundo Isa, another Argentinian at the party.

The test of the powerful and omnipresent Toulon third line finished the Soldats Roses fifteen minutes from the end.

Many reasons for concern

But more than the final result, it is the content of the Parisian performance (no test registered) which raises fears of a return to the soft underbelly of the Top 14 after a rather successful start to the season.

A rough line game (an empty pass directly into touch, a desperate kick volley in the middle of the three-quarter line, among other inaccuracies), avoidable forwards and unusual worries in the scrum, until so a strong point for Parisians: there are many reasons for concern.

After the match, Gonzalo Quesada recognized "a lot of lack of control, unforced errors, gifts to the opponent, yellow cards that change the dynamics and these 30 minutes where we suffer".

But he also wanted to be positive by recalling "the satisfactory first half" (9-0 for Paris but opposite Baptiste Serin had let slip 6 points at the foot...), and "these last 10 minutes when we play, we go back twice or three times the field, and we recover at least the bonus”.

A small consolation.

“It's a setback tonight, admits the experienced Morgan Parra.

We did the second half backwards, we play at home, we are dominated on all contacts.

If it's worrying?

It will depend on next week against La Rochelle.

But if we make a second misstep at home, yes it will be complicated… ”