After Toulouse, La Rochelle. Three weeks after beating the reigning French champion at Jean-Bouin (27-12), Stade Français offered itself a victory before Christmas while suffering over its runner-up, La Rochelle. And if the double European champion is far from his level of last year, Paris was able to take advantage of his arrival to relaunch itself after a painful European parenthesis marked by two defeats against the English of Sale and Leicester.
Lee Stade Français, however, initially stammered, like his revelation of the moment, fullback Léo Barré. As sharp and unpredictable with the ball in his hands as he is messy in his receptions and his kicking game, the 21-year-old great hope embodied on Saturday this team which blocked the Maritimes in their part of the field, while struggling to open up a significant gap.
It’s their own fault above all. But also this test refused to the returning Giovanni Habel-Küffner (13th), back after his layoff for his night altercation after the trip to Pau at the end of November, for a slight aerial contact sanctioned on video. But in its imprecision, Paris did not give in to the few La Rochelle incursions, also taking advantage of the clumsiness of the opposing scorer Antoine Hastoy (1/3 success in the first period).
Danty’s red card weighed down La Rochelle
But the biggest boost came from a famous former member of the house, Jonathan Danty. Captain of La Rochelle for the first time since his departure from Paris in 2021, the three-quarter center of the Blues was expelled (47th) after having voluntarily stepped on the South African, penalized with a yellow for having held his leg . And if Jean-Bouin’s audience chanted his name in tribute to past services, his absence weighed down the vice-champion of France.
Because when Stade Français recovered Ward, he immediately or almost made the difference, with a second try scored by Kylan Hamdaoui (63rd). A breath of fresh air, before being caught by the throat by a strong response from another veteran of the house, the hooker Tolu Latu. But outnumbered, the Maritimes were unable to regain the upper hand despite their pressure in the final minutes. Paris has suffered, but remains on the right track. Before going to play his last match of 2023 in Toulon on Saturday.
STADE FRANCAIS – LA ROCHELLE: 18-13
Half-time: 10-3
Stade Français: tries from Ward (22nd) and Hamdaoui (63rd); Segonds penalties (32nd, 48th); transformation of Segonds (22nd)
La Rochelle: Latu’s try (68th); penalties from Hastoy (12th) and Reus (59th); Reus transformation (70th)
Attendance: 11,921 spectators
