It emerged with soft steps but it is with giant steps that it is now propelling itself towards who knows what summit. Tossed about, sent to the ropes, sometimes even humiliated like last December with a rout, in Le Havre, against Leinster (10-42) in the European Cup, followed by an equally bitter affront under the roof of his hall shows Paris La Défense Arena, on Christmas Eve in front of its neighbor Stade Français (10-48) in the Top 14, Racing resurfaced. Spectacularly.
These last two games, decisive in the race for the final phase, bear witness to this. After having dissolved the Bayonnais in Nanterre (55-14) last week, the Ile-de-France residents atomized the Toulonnais (43-7) this Saturday evening at the Océane stadium in Le Havre, during a new relocation. Nearly 100 points scored in two games! Here they are invigorated, third in the championship before the match between Stade Français and Lyon this Sunday evening, and qualification for the play-offs in their pocket as every season since the club’s rise to the Top 14 in 2009-2010.
So of course, we can always object that the Basques already seemed strangely resigned at the time of fighting and that the Varois presented a strongly reorganized formation, seeming to ignore and a cross on the Top 14 one week before their Challenge final European. But doubting yourself when you face Racing is already proof of the revival of Ciel et Blanc. “We feel that they are regaining confidence, confides the Toulon center third line Mathieu Bastareaud. When you see the names of the players… They are capable of changing a match. They are going to be hard to play. Yes, they can go far. “His manager Pierre Mignoni saw, for his part, a “serious” and “cold” Ile-de-France team. The opposite of what she had shown at the heart of the season.
“The players are fresher, physically and mentally”
“Since we said to ourselves that we no longer had a choice, behaviors have changed, advances winger Juan Imhoff who is completing his twelfth season at Racing. We are less fickle than a few weeks ago. We are starting to have a very specific style. The final phase is played on details. We are not going to be an easy team to take. “Especially if she plays her play-off at home (weekend of June 3 and 4), at Paris La Défense Arena which will be free on that date. To qualify, he will probably have to win in Clermont, which has little to play for, in two weeks. Nothing insurmountable.
“The first objective has been achieved and we can be happy about it, given where we were not long ago, breathes Laurent Travers, who will swap his manager’s costume for that of chairman of the management board after ten seasons spent on the sidelines of the Francilians. We will analyze everything to see how to approach the match in Clermont. Of course we want to receive in the play-off (finishing 3rd or 4th) but I know teams that have been champions playing it away. »
Champions. The word is out. The ambition is there. “We found a full workforce, underlines Laurent Travers. It is important for the whole group. The players are fresher, physically and mentally. It must also be said that our premature elimination (group stage) from the European Cup allowed us to recover our strength. “To the point of returning to play in the court of the title contenders.
