Parisians and Béarnais went through all the emotions at the Jean-Bouin stadium in a top-of-the-table clash full of euphoria and indiscipline. On Saturday, this duel ended in frustration for the visitors and relief for the Pink Soldiers, who emerged as the victors (34-32).
The Section, who persevered despite a rocky start with two injuries (Beka Gorgadze and Théo Attissogbe) and two yellow cards while still managing to lead the score (10-18), didn’t completely hold on. Sebastien Piqueronies’ men held a nine-point lead before succumbing to Parisian pressure towards the end of the match. They conceded a second penalty try two minutes before the final whistle and lost Axel Desperes to a yellow card. A penalty after the final whistle from Louis Carbonel, once again the top scorer in the Top 14, secured the victory for the Parisians.
The Palois can rejoice in the defensive bonus gained at Jean-Bouin, giving them a two-point lead over Stade Français (4th) and preventing them from being overtaken by Montpellier, who put on a strong performance against European champions UBB (5th).
A week before their Champions Cup semi-final against Bath, Yannick Bru’s men had all their key players (Tameifuna, Woki, Lucu, Jalibert, Penaud, Bielle-Biarrey) in the lineup. However, it was Montpellier Hérault Rugby (MHR), also heading to a continental semi-final against Welsh Dragons Newport in the Challenge Cup, who emerged victorious, despite being reduced to 13 players in the last six minutes.
Initially chaotic but then realistic, RCT finally held off Bayonne, who lost their grip towards the end by conceding three tries for a five-point victory (52-26) for the Var side, which should be significant. To close on Sunday night, Toulouse will mathematically secure their place in the finals with a win against Clermont, who will have to fight until the end to finish in the Top 6.
In addition, also on a mission, La Rochelle, boosted by their bonus-point victory against a revamped UBB last weekend and the return of their international key players, secured their third away win of the season against Perpignan (31-29), strengthening their qualification dream. A brace from Nolann Le Garrec kickstarted the Maritimes after being rattled by the Catalan fury, eventually pulling through thanks to the boot of their international fly-half, who scored 26 points amidst the tumult at Aimé-Giral.
While delaying the relegation confirmation of Montauban to Pro D2, this defeat does not alter the fate of USAP, whose sole focus is the promotion-relegation match against the Pro D2 finalist scheduled for June 13.
