Antoine Gibert, the firefighter on duty?
The 26-year-old flyhalf will make his return to the field with Racing 92, this Saturday March 2 for the 17th day of Top 14 against Union Bordeaux-Bègles.
A first for the opener since January 20 (48-26 victory against Cardiff in the Champions Cup) and even since January 6 in the Top 14 (34-30 victory against Castres).
These two months without the French Championship for “Gibus” resulted in two months without victories for Racing (4 defeats in a row, including 3 at home) and a significant drop in the Ciel et Blanc rankings, going from 1st to 2nd. 6th place.
Certainly, the absence of Antoine Gibert, who has accompanied the French XV since the start of the Six Nations Tournament, without playing a match, does not explain everything.
Racing was also deprived of three other internationals, Nolann Le Garrec, Gaël Fickou and Cameron Woki, who are still absent because they were preserved this weekend for the French XV.
Unlike Gibert, summoned again on Sunday with the Blues to prepare for the shock in Cardiff on March 10, but made available to his club this week.
𝚋𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚞𝚡 🆚 𝚌𝚒𝚎𝚕 𝚎𝚝 𝚋𝚕𝚊𝚗𝚌
With @randstad_france, discover the 23 Racingmen who face UBB tomorrow at 9:05 p.m. in Chaban!
#UBBR92 #RacingFamily pic.twitter.com/stFXwdgjhw
— Racing 92 (@racing92) March 1, 2024
Gibert will therefore start in Gironde on Saturday, just like Welsh second row Will Rowlands, also released by his selection.
But not sure that these returns are enough to cure a very sick Racing.
“It's a difficult period,” conceded coach Stuart Lancaster, who also has to deal with the injured (Chouzenoux, Tuisova, etc.), particularly at scrum half (Hall, Le Bail).
Hence the second consecutive tenure at number 9 for the usual full-back Max Spring, in the absence, also, of Le Garrec.
With his usual Breton friend of the hinge, Antoine Gibert had accelerated and illuminated the game of Racing which was walking on water at the start of the season.
“We are always a united group, who trust each other”
The absence of the two will-o'-the-wisps and the international duplicates did more than seize up the machine.
The Ile-de-France residents' game has become sterile, slow, imprecise, even in their Paris La Défense Arena (three defeats against Toulouse, Montpellier and Stade Français).
A reaction is imperative, if possible from Saturday against UBB (4th, 1 point ahead of Racing), also in bad shape without its international stars Damian Penaud or Matthieu Jalibert (three defeats in four matches).
This is perhaps Racing's luck this weekend: coming across a patient potentially even sicker than him.
The fire is also smoldering in Gironde.
And gives hope to Stuart Lancaster: “We are still a united group, who trust each other.
We must stay in the race in this difficult period,” the English coach said positively.
Between UBB and Racing, Saturday, it will be woe to the loser.
Match sheet
9:05 p.m. at the Stade Chaban-Delmas in Bordeaux.
Referee: Thomas Charabas.
Racing 92:
Tedder - Arundell, Saili, Chavancy (cap.), Naituvi - (o) Gibert, (m) Spring - Kolisi, Joseph (8), Baudonne - Rowlands, Sanconnie - Nyakane, Chat, Kolingar.
Substitutes:
Tarrit, Ben Arous, Kpoku, Palu, Hemery, Klemenczak, Taofifenua, Gomes Sa.
Coach:
Stuart Lancaster.
UBB:
Ducuing - Buros, Depoortere, Uberti, Moustin - (o) Garcia, (m) Lesgourgues - Diaby, Tatafu (8), Vergnes-Taillefer - Coleman, Ricard - Tameifuna, Lamothe (cap.), Poirot.
Substitutes:
Maynadier, Boniface, Cazeaux, Miquel, Gazzotti, Abadie, Holmes, Taufa.
Coach:
Yannick Bru.