A goalscorer who guides his people and a new leader at the helm of the Top 14 but also a sad end to the match and a series that is coming to an end … Find the Tops and Flops of the match between Stade Rochelais and ASM Clermont ( 19-10), on the 8th day of the Top 14.
TOPS
Marcel-Deflandre, impregnable fortress
This is one of the main lessons of the start of the season, the Rochelais leave only crumbs to their opponents when they play at home. After Rugby Club Toulonnais, Castres Olympique and Union Bordeaux-Bègles, it is the turn of ASM Clermont, leader before this 8th day, to fall to Marcel-Deflandre (19-10). Despite their defeat, the Jaunards were the first to score a try through Tim Nanaï-Williams, who ended a 369-minute streak of invincibility from the maritime defense. New leaders of the Top 14 (26 points), the Rochelais have just chained a fifteenth consecutive victory on their land. Solid.
Plisson in a great evening
He was one of the main architects of La Rochelle’s success. Strapped to the thigh a few minutes before kickoff, the opening half Jules Plisson did much better than hold his line. As proof, he was precise against the poles (5/6, 14 points) but above all offered on a plateau the only try of his own to Brice Dulin, by giving him a pass to the surgical foot. Less comfortable in his game at the foot of occupation after the locker room (countered three times), he was able to keep his team’s game afloat to keep the 16-point advantage acquired at the break.
Tim Nanaï-Williams recital
It is undoubtedly the most beautiful soloist attempt of this start of the season. Distanced on the scoreboard (19-3), ASM Clermont relied on its New Zealand winger to rebalance the debates. In the 45th minute of play, Tim Nanaï-Williams grabs the ball before dropping alone four La Rochelle defenders, with these overwhelming interior hooks. A banderilla which allowed his partners to return to 9 points of their opponents, after the transformation of Camille Lopez. In vain.
FLOPS
The tension in the end of the match
If chambering is the order of the day in many rugby matches, spirits were violently heated at the end of the match. On a La Rochelle possession at the entrance to 22 meters from Clermont, Kerr-Barlow serves Jules Plisson to seal this match but he is tackled late after clearing in touch. There followed a regrouping of the two teams, with exchanges of courtesies, before the referee Alexandre Ruiz tries to put things back in order. Sad images.
End of series for ASM
Winners of their last four games, the Jaunards conceded their second defeat of the season to Marcel-Deflandre. The best attack in the Top 14, with 28 tries registered before this meeting, was muzzled by valiant Rochelais and was too approximate to take them in default. Despite several interesting penalties to play in the opposing 22 meters during the last half hour, Franck Azéma’s men were imprecise around the opposing end-goal to win, at least, a defensive bonus.
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