The regular season of the Top 14 has delivered its verdict. And it will offer a Ile-de-France derby to launch the play-offs on Saturday. Beaten respectively in La Rochelle (14-10) and Clermont (32-25) on Sunday evening during the final day, Stade Français (4th) and Racing 92 (5th) will face each other in the play-offs Saturday at Jean-Bouin in an advanced meeting in the early afternoon Saturday (14h) because of the Ligue 1 match between PSG and Clermont scheduled for the evening at the Parc des Princes. Back on the missed evening of the two formations, which will cross at this stage of the competition as in 2021.
Stade Français misses in La Rochelle
Paris can blame itself. In La Rochelle, Stade Français missed its last trip of the regular season. A week after their gruelling Champions Cup title in Dublin against Leinster, the Maritimes, already qualified for the last four, had largely rotated to preserve themselves for the semi-finals. The Parisians, voluntarily without several executives like Macalou, Briatte or Ivaldi, wanted to avoid having to take a look at the other results by dominating the Rochelais.
Well started with a try from Nadir Megdoud in the first half (22nd), Stade Français missed opportunities to further cement their dominance in the first half. And saw the second team of La Rochelle come back to tie on a try from Favre (63rd) in the heart of the second half. Despite a penalty from Joris Segonds (70th) to return to the lead, Gonzalo Quesada's men let slip the success and the third place, recovered by Lyon with its wide victory against Bayonne (53-19), on a try cap in the last minutes. And will therefore receive their neighbor.
🏁 END OF THE MATCH
Our Pink Soldiers lose with a defensive bonus point for this last day of the regular phase#SRSFP | ⛵️ 14 - 10 🌸 | @AiwaysFrance pic.twitter.com/xSAss9azm1
— Stade Français Paris (@SFParisRugby) May 28, 2023
Racing 92 misses and will move
Virtually barragists at home at the kick-off of their match in Auvergne, the Racingmen lost the thread and the assurance of receiving in a week over an intense match against Clermontois who had nothing more to play. Well started with an early try from winger Juan Imhoff (7th), Racing cracked again and again in defense. The twelfth most permeable team of the elite conceded five tries at the Marcel-Michelin stadium in a meeting where Laurent Travers' men complicated their lives with the two temporary expulsions of Iribaren (40th) and Moukoro (57th).
Despite the entry of a luxury bench composed of its captain Gaël Fickou, its Scottish international opener Finn Russell or its usual scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, Laurent Travers' men have not managed to reverse the trend. Here they are forced to move in play-offs, like last season when they were swept in Chaban-Delmas by Bordeaux-Bègles (36-16). They will at least this time have the advantage of not going too far.
Bayonne in the Champions Cup, Perpignan will play its maintenance on a match
Promoted last summer, the Basques will compete in the Champions Cup, the most prestigious of European competitions, next season. Despite the big defeat in the Rhône, Bayonne is rewarded for its solid season with this continental accessit. Finally, Pau did not tremble when it came to ensuring its maintenance at home by beating Montpellier (35-10) in the Béarn. The Palois leave the thirteenth and penultimate place to Perpignan. Like last year, the Catalans will play the play-off to save their place in the elite. This time it will be Saturday in Grenoble, defeated by Oyonnax in the final of Pro D2.
