“And we haven’t played Perpignan yet.” At the beginning of January, Cameron Woki warned Stuart Lancaster: the excited atmosphere of the defeat at Bayonne, which surprised the English manager, will not be the only one of the season. A warning well felt by the French international. From the Marcoussis facilities, where he is with three other Racingmen (Antoine Gibert, Nolan Le Garrec, Gaël Fickou), Woki saw his club undergo the USAP law (26-5), carried by an Aimé- Noisy Giral, opening the 14th day of the championship.
A second defeat in a row for Racing 92 after that suffered against Toulouse (20-27) last week at home. And a negative spiral which offers the Top 14 a new leader (Stade Français) while the Ile-de-France residents have been in the lead for six days. Enough to wonder about the real depth of Racing’s workforce in a period of international duplication. Stuart Lancaster wanted to inject new blood for this meeting in Perpignan with eight changes compared to the starting XV against Toulouse. A failed strategy for the Ile-de-France staff.
Tom ECOCHARD score a try during the Top 14 match between Union Sportive Arlequins Perpignanais and Racing 92 at Stade Aime Giral on February 3, 2024 in Perpignan, France. (Photo by Baptiste Lhuilier/Icon Sport) 2024 Icon Sport
Facing the unleashed Catalans, Racing 92 conceded three tries in 21 minutes (from the 10th to the 31st) and returned to the locker room trailing 19-5, simply saved by a try from their hooker Jannick Tarrit (29th). “Approximate”, “wait and see”, in the words used by Dimitri Szarzewski at the microphone of Canal + Sport, the Racing players were moved at the break by Stuart Lancaster. With five changes to start the second act, the Englishman did not hesitate to make the cut.
“It was a catastrophic match on our part”
The renewed first line (Kharaishvili, Chat and Kolingar for Laclayat, Tarrit and Ben Arous) and the entry into play of the lively Max Spring at scrum half revived the Ile-de-France residents… for a few minutes. But after a long sequence of battle between “big guys” 5 meters from the Perpignan try line after returning from the locker room, the locals held on. In this brawl, it was even the referee who had the last word. “Send me back the pillars of the first period”, we heard from Ludovic Cayre after two yellows handed out (58th) to Kharaishvili (Racing) and Lotrian (USAP).
Never really in a position to pick up the score, the Ile-de-France residents multiplied the errors, like this penalty not found at 40 meters by Tristan Tedder, ex-Perpignan (69th). A performance to forget after a second period during which, worse, a fourth try, synonymous with an offensive bonus for the locals, was scored by Ignacio Ruiz (80th). In the fight for maintenance, USAP is giving itself some breathing room at the bottom of the rankings before the other matches of the day.
Racing 92 now has two weeks to get back on track before hosting Montpellier, another candidate for retention, on February 17 (5 p.m.). Five points scored in a match is his lowest total of the season and this is undoubtedly not normal for a title candidate. “It’s a catastrophic match on our part,” concedes Henry Chavancy at the microphone of Canal + Sport. They scored too easily. We were too weak in defense. This is a big slap in the face for us. There’s a week’s vacation but I’m not sure we deserve it. We will have to come back with a different state of mind. It’s a good reminder for us. I hope it will be the last.”
