Racing 92 and its star recruit Owen Farrell lost in the final seconds in Castres on Saturday, during the first day of the Top 14, during which Lyon brought back a victory from Montpellier.
. Ambadiang punit le Racing 92
For the first outing in the Top 14 of the English fly-half with 112 caps Owen Farrell, Racing 92 had to settle for a defensive bonus point on the pitch of Castres, winner (31-28) thanks to a try just before the siren by his winger Christian Ambadiang.
Already the author of a masterful save on a breakthrough by full-back Max Spring, the 25-year-old Cameroonian winger came to crucify the Racingmen who thought they had done the hardest part by coming back from a 12-point deficit in the last ten minutes.
Although he converted all four of his teammates’ tries, Owen Farrell’s performance was mixed. He notably missed two costly penalties and could have even offered Castres a try, letting himself be surprised by a rebound on a long ball kicked behind his back.
. Lyon’s revenge in Montpellier
Baptiste Couilloud had not forgotten the “spanking” suffered by LOU at the GGL Stadium at the end of last season (41-26). So the best scorer of the last season only needed nine minutes to find his way back to the end zone and launch LOU towards victory against Montpellier (26-22).
Despite the first try at the MHR by Scottish full-back Stuart Hogg, Lyon took the lead at half-time before widening the gap thanks to the foot of Léo Berdeu, who was 100% in front of the posts. Relaunched by a try from their hooker Vano Karkadze in the 63rd minute, the Héraultais came up four points behind Lyon.
. Bayonne on a wire
Earlier on Saturday afternoon, the new Top 14 season opened to the sounds of the club’s anthem, Pena Baiona, with Bayonne’s narrow victory over Perpignan (21-19).
The first try of the season was scored by winger Ali Crossdale, putting Usap on the right track. But despite their indiscipline (11 penalties conceded) and the efficiency at the foot of the Catalans’ striker Tommaso Allan, at 5/5 in front of the posts, it was the Basques who had the last word.
At the end of a second period where both teams lacked precision for a long time, Joris Segonds, who arrived from Stade Français to share the opening with Camille Lopez, put his team in the lead for the first time in the game in the 76th minute thanks to a penalty from almost 50 m.
. Clermont provides the essentials
After a minute of applause in tribute to Mehdi Narjissi, a young international rugby player who disappeared off the coast of South Africa on August 7, respected at the Marcel-Michelin stadium as on all the Top 14 pitches on Saturday, the Clermont public saw their team win with the bonus point against Pau (39-7).
Dominant in the first half, the Auvergnats were surprised in the 30th minute by the fly-half Joe Simmonds, who came to flatten the first incursion of the Pauois. But the locals went back in front before the break and then took off in the second half thanks in particular to tries from the second row Rob Simmons, the winger Joris Jurand and the hooker Folau Fainga’a.
The first day of the Top 14 will continue on Saturday evening with the trip of Stade Français to Bordeaux-Bègles before La Rochelle-Toulon and Vannes-Toulouse on Sunday.
bdu/bvo
