Toulouse and La Rochelle, back to the ordinary
After two European Cup weekends, Toulouse and La Rochelle, both qualified in the last continental square, resume their duel from a distance at the top of the Top 14. The Toulouse leader will return to his domestic duties during a derby in Castres with a reshaped workforce. His internationals Cyril Baille, Julien Marchand and Antoine Dupont were notably left to rest.
A boon for CO? Not necessarily, for the second line of Castres Loïc Jacquet: “If Toulouse replaces Arnold with Tekori, do you think that’s good news?”
Second in the standings three lengths from the Toulouse Stadium, La Rochelle will close for its part its enchanted European parenthesis with the reception of Lyon.
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Pau plays his skin
With six matchdays remaining, all matches count for Pau in his fight for maintenance. But the one against Bayonne Friday night counts even more since seven points separate them in the standings.
The Palois therefore have no right to make mistakes at home, in this Pyrenees-Atlantiques derby, if they want to save themselves a downhill barrage.
It will be without their opener and playing master Antoine Hastoy, whose absence due to injury will soon be compensated by the reinforcement of the weight of the South African world champion Elton Jantjies.
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