This weekend, it's Boxing Day. The opportunity to see the usual “Clasico” of French rugby, between the two Stadiums, Toulouse and French. However, this season, this clash between historic rivals risks being unbalancedgiven the opposing dynamics of the two formations. Bayonne will receive a sick Castres and wants to rely on Sireli Maqala, perhaps one of the best centers on the planet currentlyto take a place on the podium of the Top 14. Finally, two crucial posters. Pau-Vannes at the bottom of the ranking and Racing-Lyon, two teams plagued by doubt. The defeated will lose big. Here are the echoes before this weekend.
A Clasico without flavor?
If last year, Toulouse and Parisians monopolized the first places in our championship, nothing like this this season. The Haut-Garonne training continues, for its part, to assert its hegemony over the French championship. Quite the opposite of Stade Français which, after two seasons of competing in the final stages, is experiencing a complicated 2024/2025 financial year. Certainly, the victory last Saturday against Perpignan gave some color to the players of the capital. But they remain stuck at the bottom of the ranking, tenth, at the time of writing these lines. Far from the initial ambitions in September. And today, the priority will first be to ensure the maintenancerather than thinking about a hypothetical Top 6 which now seems very far away.
So this “Clasico” between capitol and capital, flagship poster of our championship in the heart of the 2000s, fueled by an exacerbated rivalry, looks set to be very unbalanced this year. The Rouge et Noir came out of a draw in Lyon (17-17). On paper, this sharing of points, with a mixed team, facing a LOU, certainly in a cruel breakdown of confidence but in search of redemption, is nothing serious. However, certain Toulouse players, like Paul Costes, were not satisfied at the end of the meetingat a press conference: “ To tell you that we are satisfied with the draw, no, not at all, that must be obvious to me. As we want to be a competitive and demanding team every time, we cannot be satisfied with that », railed the young three-quarter center.
Suffice to say that Ugo Mola's men, what's more with the return of the internationals and in a sold-out Stadium, will necessarily want to “make up for” this slight hiccup in the Rhône city. Conversely, Paris should show up in the Pink City with a significantly revised formationwith the probable tenure of young Martin Blum or Mamoudou Meité, the promising but closeted Raffaele Costa Storti or with experiments like Samuel Ezeala in 12. So many factors which make us say that the meeting seems unbalanced on paper and that barring an immense and unexpected Parisian exploit, we don't see too much suspense this Sunday evening.
After all, this choice to present itself in Toulouse with a hybrid team is of implacable logic. Currently, and this is sometimes almost sickening for rugby fans like us, Stade Toulousain, takes everything and leaves only crumbs for its guests. Except for a success for UBB at the start of the season, Antoine Dupont's teammates are uncompromising at home. Stade Français has intelligently prioritized the reception of Union Bordeaux Bègles next week, capital for the rest of the season. And we can't blame them.
With Sireli Maqala, does Aviron Bayonnais have the best 13 in the world in its ranks?
We already talked about it a little while ago. But we feel obliged to once again put in the spotlight one of the magicians of our championship. Him ? This is Sireli Maqala. And if the title is a little seductive, we are entitled, given the Fijian's start to the season, to wonder if he is simply not the best number 13 in the rugby world currently. In an attractive Rowing Bayonnais, after a sluggish first few days, today fourth in the Top 14, the three-quarter center enjoysand above all, delights Basque club aficionados.
Realize, the 24-year-old player, who extended his lease at Aviron, is the best scorer in our championship with nine achievements in… ten meetings! Amazing stats. Just last week he struck, supporting a breakthrough from Cheick Tiberghien to conclude a test between the Vannes postsduring his team's victory. This weekend, Bayonne hosts Castres, in a match of immense importance. The Tarnais remain on two defeats in a row. A loss in Clermont and a painful setback at home against UBB. Suffice to say that the Castrese, sick, will come to the banks of the Adour with the firm intention of getting back on their feet.
But as we explained to you, in front of them, a euphoric Rowing appears. Because in case of victory, Grégory Patat's protégés could take the podium. And they will therefore be able to count on Maqala. Virtuoso, technically extraordinary, fast, endowed with lightning steps and incredible ability to eliminate the opponent, he is also the player with the most broken tackles this season (47), Fijian perhaps has no equivalent at present in world rugby. And that’s Jean Dauger’s audience who delights in it. Tune in to your TV this Saturday at 4 p.m. to admire it, something tells us that the will-o'-the-wisp from Ciel et Blanc hasn't finished making headlines.
Pau-Vannes: a new decisive duel of poorly ranked players
Meet between injured animals or rather between sick teams. This Saturday, the Paloise Section receives RC Vannes at Le Hameau. Severely swept aside in Toulon (56-25), the Béarnais remain on a worrying series of 5 defeats in 6 matches. A bad spiral which has sunk them to a current worrying thirteenth place, synonymous with play-offs at the end of the season.
Facing the Palois? These are the people of Vannes who will present themselves at the foot of the Pyrenees. The Bretons alternate hot and cold and the lack of squad depth seems, for the moment, be prohibitive to achieve positive results. While we thought they were relaunched after an exploit in La Rochelle, followed by a great Challenge Cup campaign, Francisco Gorrisen's partners fell at home, against Bayonne, and sink a little deeper into last place. It will therefore be essential to take points in Pau, otherwise the hopes of remaining will irremediably dwindle and disappear.
So Jean-Noël Spitzer's men, are capable of right-to-left exploits. They have already proven it to us. But faced with a Section in urgent need of results, they will no longer benefit from the surprise effect, and will be especially awaited by a team which has surely made this meeting an objective. We see Pau winning.
Racing-Lyon: which team to relaunch?
We told you about a poorly ranked duel between Pau and Vannes. This will be the one teams lacking confidence. Ninth, Racing 92 remains on three consecutive defeats in the championship. Eleventh, the LOU left the red zone, reassured himself a little with this draw obtained against Toulouse. But the Lyonnais have not won in the Top 14 since October 13, two and a half months. An anomaly.
This meeting will therefore be the one teams in doubt. The loser could see the Top 6 ambitions take a hit. The Ile-de-France residents will have to, at home, find success again, in order to also reassure their supporters, especially after the departure recorded this week of Laurent Travers and the last days in troubled waters. The Lyonnais could devote themselves to the fight to maintain their position, if they were to lose to Racing.
But the Karim Ghezal paw could allow the Rouge et Noir to raise their heads. Chilly, areas for improvement were seen against Toulouse. Difficult to emerge a winner. But why not consider a move by the Lyonnais who would relaunch themselves and on the contrary, would push the Ciel et Blanc into doubt. Response this Sunday around 6 p.m. at the final whistle.
