Stade Français can still believe in qualification after its small feat against Northampton (45-35)

Stade français scores a stunning victory against Northampton Saints! Trailing 0-21 after a completely failed start to the match, the Parisians showed character to reverse the trend and pass seven tries to the English, finally winning 45-35. This first success for the Stadistes in the Champions Cup will do a lot of good for the leaders of the play-off in the Top 14.

In their quest for confidence, the Parisians imposed themselves in a particular exercise on Saturday evening at Jean-Bouin: how to win a match despite three tries behind? Perhaps the ring road was blocked around 6:30 p.m., as Stade Français arrived so late in this meeting. They, who wanted to avoid a new record of four defeats in four European matches, like last season, let the Saints, who had won their first two Champions Cup matches, play their game for 20 minutes.

At the speed of the English collective game, Stade Français initially displayed a guilty naivety. On the first two tries, the gap was created too easily on the right wing, before Tom Lockett (12th) then Henry Pollock (16th) flattened with force. Pollock, once again, punished the Parisians in quick succession, and surprised everyone by breaking away from a full-axis maul to dash off alone, under the stunned eyes of his opponents (0-21, 18th).

It was then that the locals began their “comeback”. Peniasi Dakuwaqa woke up his team, after work from the forwards five meters away (23rd). Then it was the 2nd line Juan John Van Der Mescht who put on the trickster costume, and sensed the intentions of fly-half Rory Hutchinson to counter his kicking game and go for the try (30th). In a few minutes, the Stadistes rebalanced the debates based on their effective conquest. Before completely restarting the match with a final irresistible maul, accompanying Yoan Tanga into the goal (19-21, 40th+3).

The Parisian dynamic was confirmed upon returning from the locker room, despite Henry Walker’s quick try (45th). Stade Français immediately responded with a new unstoppable ball, rewarded with a penalty try and a yellow for Alex Mitchell (48th). In numerical superiority, the entrants Brad Weber and especially Sekou Macalou, returning from suspension, were involved in two new tries, that of Samuel Ezeala to give the advantage to Stade Français (31-28, 52nd) then Tanga’s double in strength (58th).

Stunned by the scenario of the match, the Saints lost their composure like their captain Josh Kemeny, author of a nasty shoulder blow on Zack Henry punished with a yellow, then a ball carried around from captain Paul Gabrillagues (45-28, 69th). A final attempt by the Saints for honor changed nothing: this time, Paris was on the right side of the comeback.