Rugby – Challenge Cup: USAP is more than ever in the race for qualification in the round of 16

Saturday against Cardiff, USAP finally achieved success in the European Cup (23-20). A victory which ended a series of 13 drought matches in this Challenge Cup. Four points which symbolize what has been repeated since the start of the competition: “The objective is qualification”. In recent seasons, the speech has been much the same. But the results did not follow.

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Rugby – Challenge Cup: against Cardiff, USAP finally won the European Cup to give itself the right to dream of qualification

This year, they are here. If there was this regrettable defeat against Connacht a month ago (18-31), the Catalans were able to bring back two points from Amsterdam against the Cheetahs (20-20), before winning against Cardiff this weekend. Six points therefore, on the clock, after three matches. And above all, a current fourth place which allows us to be in the qualifying wagon for the round of 16, one day from the end of the regular phase. There is one last meeting left in Parma next Sunday (4:15 p.m.), where anything can still happen. And we will have to be patient and do some mathematics to know how the USAP will qualify. “What we want is to qualify for the round of 16 in this competition, so it’s clear that we had this match ticked offassured hooker Victor Montgaillard, after the meeting on Saturday. We still have next week, because we’re not sure we’ll qualify. So, we are going to go to the Zebre to fight and to win.”

Already, the Catalans (4th, 6 pts) will have a big advantage: they will know, before playing, the results of the other matches in the group. Friday evening (9 p.m.), they will watch what Cardiff (3rd, 7 pts) will do against an already qualified Connacht team (1st, 15 pts). But the Irish from Galway will undoubtedly want to go all out to finish best in the competition and ensure the most affordable round of 16 possible at the Dexcom Stadium.

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A Montpellier – USAP in 8es?

Saturday evening (6:30 p.m.), and this is really where the USAP should have its sights turned, the poster between Lyon (2nd, 9 pts) and the Cheetahs will define the objectives to be achieved on Sunday afternoon in Parma . Currently, the blood and gold are tied with the South African team (5th, 6 pts), but they are ahead, thanks to a better goal average of only two points. It would therefore be necessary, in the best scenario, for the Cheetahs to leave Gerland empty. Which would open the door a little more to the round of 16 for Franck Azéma’s men.

Because if the Bloemfontein players do not move ahead of USAP in the rankings on Saturday, the Catalans will only have to perform in Italy. By winning, in the best case, by taking a defensive bonus, or by not losing by more than 13 points. And, of course, by not letting the Zebre pocket the offensive bonus. Because this Sunday, the Parmesans won a point in Amsterdam against the Cheetahs (22-18 defeat). Which allows them, too, to stay in the race.

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REPLAY. Rugby – Challenge Cup: USAP takes on Cardiff (23-20) and the right to dream

In any case, in the current state of the rankings, a duel between Montpellier and the USAP is looming. Even if everything can still change on this last day. But the whole Catalan group would like to join in the fun next April. For the first time since 2013. At the time, the Catalan club reached the semi-finals of the European Challenge. After having disposed of Stade Toulousain (30-19), Marc Delpoux’s USAP lost against Stade Français at Aimé-Giral (22-25). Now it will be up to this group to write its own history.