UBB, four in a row
In trouble with his right thigh since mid-January, Jalibert was to return to competition this weekend, a week before the XV of France moved to Wales in the Six Nations Tournament.
After feeling a new pain in the warm-up, the opening half finally remained on the bench, his face closed in front of the laborious performance of his UBB teammates.
Beaten by Pau (23-16) with a try on the wire of another international opener, Antoine Hastoy, the Girondin leader missed the opportunity to regain his distance at the top of the championship after the defeat earlier in the day of his dolphin, Montpellier.
End of series at the MHR…
The MHR, which had not lost in the league for ten matches, fell to Castres (25-9), which has not lost at home in the Top 14 since December 2020.
“It’s the end of the series, we have to refocus and start another,” put the Montpellier coach, who had rotated his workforce, into perspective.
The CO, winner with offensive bonus after having evolved in numerical inferiority throughout the second half, is very close to the podium.
… and at Racing 92
Another end of the series of the weekend: that of Racing 92, which remained on eight consecutive victories in all competitions.
The fault in Perpignan (34-13), overexcited in front of his public of Aimé-Giral after having drunk the cup last week against Clermont (52-12).
A good operation for the Catalans in the race to maintain. A bad one with a view to the final stages for the Hauts-de-Seine club, which sees La Rochelle come back on its tail.
The Maritimes unsurprisingly made short work of a revamped Brive team, swept 41-15 with two tries each for Dillyn Leyds, Dany Priso and Levani Botia.
Toulon sinks Biarritz
It was the game of fear between two teams fighting for maintenance and the RCT came out of it greatly reassured by its success outside with an offensive bonus (45-17).
The Pro D2, on the other hand, is getting dangerously close for the soundtrack. Six days before the end of the regular season, the Basque red lantern is now ten lengths behind Perpignan.
Clermont brings down Lyon
Lyon missed the chance to take the lead in the Top 14 after losing to Clermont (25-16).
A penalty from Morgan Parra and a try from Jean-Pascal Barraque ruined Lyon’s hopes at the very end of the match.
The Rhodaniens nevertheless remain 3rd in the standings, two points behind Montpellier (2nd) and three behind the Bordeaux leader, while ASM, 8th, six points behind La Rochelle (6th) can still hope to qualify for the final phase.
The Clermontois, who have lost only once at home this season, won for the second time in a row after a series of four defeats, all away.
For its part, LOU Rugby, whose last championship victory in Clermont-Ferrand dates back 89 years (March 5, 1933), remained on a good series with a defeat (against Castres, 17-19) in its last six outings in Top 14.