Top 14: spectacle, suspense, a crazy match and a new disappointment for Racing 92

“Toulousains, Toulousains” who fly from the stands of an Arena more feverish than usual. Exulting adversaries and prostrate Sky and White, their heads buried in the synthetic turf. Racing 92 had undoubtedly imagined another start on vacation against a team from Toulouse B. We had a show, some tests – too many, but we will come back to this – but the Ile-de-France residents suffered their second defeat at home after their heavy setback (10-48) in the derby against Stade Français at Christmas. Here they are eighth, and exposed to an end of the season to have to whip to hope to see the final phase.

Let’s go frankly: Racing 92 presented Sunday evening to its public and to Canal + viewers a caricatural summary of its performances this season. With in the first place, his defense. Twelfth rearguard of the Top 14, the Parisians have sadly honored their status at home.

It wasn’t the very big Toulouse, or even the big one, and that’s probably what makes this defensive record even more worrying. At home, facing a leader without his cohort of internationals Dupont, Ntamack, Marchand and company, frozen by the staff of the XV of France and injured like Jelonch, Capuozzo or Tolofua, Racing was pierced far too regularly for the ‘we plead for the little jump in pre-holiday concentration.

A mad revolt at the end of the match

Five tries, with the impression that it was running too fast and that it was hitting too hard for Laurent Travers’ men on the home lawn. If Stuart Lancaster, future coach of these Sky and White, had blocked his Sunday evening, we hope that he zapped before the fifth red and black passage in the in-goal, and frankly the most beautiful, of Toulouse, a comeback all in passes and accelerations until the smooth conclusion of Paul Graou (50th).

The most infuriating in all of this is that this team still has enough talent and resources to restart a match intended for the champions of France 2021 thanks to this advantage of 16 points in the 50th. In twelve minutes, a strong try from Moukoro, an interception from Gibert and a sprint from Habosi, Racing 92 changed the dynamics of the meeting to get back within range of Stade Toulouse.

But the comeback was not enough, and Laurent Travers’ men will have three weeks to think back to this lost scrum (75th) or even the mistakes of their opener Finn Russell, six points and a final penalty lost in this money-time. The rebound is expected a few kilometers away, for the second round of the derby against Paris.