On paper, the match between the Racing armada and Agen, still looking for a first success in the Top 14 this season, promised to be completely unbalanced during the French Boxing Day this Sunday at Paris La Défense Arena. If Laurent Travers’ men did well with an improved victory, all was not so easy, especially in the first half.
What you must remember
A week after their offensive festival against the Harlequins, the Racingmen wanted to put the cover back to offer a nice Christmas present to their supporters, still deprived of a stadium due to the health situation. But, after an early penalty from captain Maxime Machenaud, the Ile-de-France residents were surprised by Moreaux, who had come to recover a too short kick to follow from Antoine Gibert (3-7, 11th).
After a first try from Dupichot, the Alto-Sequanais had to wait until the end of the first period to take off, first on a strong try from Baubigny, then after an inspiration from the Australian center Beale (24-10 at the half-time). In the second act, it took 22 minutes for the finalist of the last European Cup to secure the offensive bonus point thanks to Teddy Thomas (31-10.62nd). At the end of the match, Jordan Joseph and Ibrahim Diallo came to give more scope to the score (45-10).
The player: Kurtley Beale
We saw him harangue his teammates in the first half to push them to be more aggressive. Then, the Australian center walked the talk. Served by his opener Antoine Gibert, he pierced the Agen defense with a run, then a fake pass to flatten the ball between the posts. This is his third attempt in the Top 14 for his first season in France.
The number: 14
By receiving a yellow card at the end of the match (71st), Kévin Yaméogo, pillar of the LOU loaned to Agen, confirmed a very sad trend. The SUA, now with 14 yellow and 2 red cards in 12 Top 14 games, is the most unruly team in the championship. With two points gleaned in 12 games, the maintenance mission promises to be almost impossible.
