Largely beaten in Toulon last Saturday (54-7), Montpellier failed to turn things around against the leader of the Top 14 ranking, Stade Français, at home (10-12). A defeat which will leave the MHR stuck in a dangerous thirteenth place, synonymous with a maintenance play-off at the end of the season against the Pro D2 finalist. He will not have to look far for the reason for this hitch, with a conquest in great difficulty: four balls lost in touch in the first period (3rd, 24th, 26th, 37th) and a scrum penalized… six times (9th , 18th, 29th, 43rd, 53rd, 76th).
The MHR does not take advantage of its numerical superiority
Stade Français also took advantage of its domination in the scrum to open the scoring with its opener Joris Segonds (0-3, 10th), who did it again three minutes later after a ground fault from Christopher Tolofua (0-6, 13th). The MHR could have turned things around quite quickly on a short side reversal but Cobus Reinach’s long pass to Janse van Rensburg was judged to be forward by the refereeing body and the try refused (17th).
In a very tight match, Montpellier came closer through Louis Carbonel (3-6, 22nd), but failed to take advantage of a ten-minute numerical superiority after a yellow card against Paul Alo-Emile for a tackle dangerous on Masivesi Dakuwaqa (36th).
Segonds are expensive
It was even the Parisians who widened the gap in this period of time with a drop from Segonds (3-9). But the Montpellier residents ended up finding the key in a maul concluded by Tolofua, a try transformed by Carbonel (10-9, 48th). But from that moment on, Patrice Collazo’s men were almost unable to get out of their camp. After missing a shot on goal (51st), Segonds allowed Stade Français to get back in front (10-12, 54th). Louis Carbonel also missed a long-range penalty (59th).
The end of the match, very tense, like this big disagreement between Paul Willemse and Sekou Macalou which earned both players a yellow card (64th), was well managed by the visitors, despite a drop (69th) and a new penalty missed by Joris Segonds (70th). Thanks to this success, Stade Français, which has won six of its last seven Top 14 matches, is assured of remaining leader at the end of this 20th day, far from the great concern surrounding Montpellier.
