Because, while winter has not yet arrived and the expected rain has not arrived, La Rochelle, which we imagined abrasive, is first punished for playing too much, with six forwards in forty minutes. After conceding a try in the 3rd following a penalty followed by a well-used throw-in by Clermont and a Damian Penaud who made the difference to serve Arthur Iturria (5-0), the Rochelais took the second via Simone (10 -3, 33) after suffering his 5th turnover. A statistic illustrates the difference in dominance between Jaunards and Yellow and Black: 5 scrums in favor of the former, 0 for the latter.
The injured hinge
The other striking difference is the cool realism of ASM, scoring almost on his only two dangerous moves as countered Stadistes strikers fail to convert three penalties and numerous forays into the opposing 22 metres. It must be said that, in apnea after the Iturria test, the auvernatics print a sacred defensive pressure, like Paul Jedrasiak. As we wonder if they can keep up, Romain Sazy receives a yellow card for repeated fouls (31).
However, La Rochelle is only 7 points into the break despite opposing elements: the withdrawal of Tawera Kerr-Barlow (injured in the foot the day before) before the match, then the departure of Antoine Hastoy (ankle) in the 7 What destroys the strategy of the bench with 6 forwards and 2 three-quarters, integrating Thomas Berjon and Dillyn Leyds to the team with no alternative on the bench for the hinge. Although, this does not seem to bother Ronan O’Gara’s team too much, who is serving the first of his 6 game suspension here.
Plisson lines up at the foot
After the break, a 4th penalty shot and then two new successes were lost again in five minutes, a sign that the club’s caravel squad, so dominant since the start of the season, was this time perfectly countered by the former director’s men Maritime Jono. gibs. Jules Plisson, another former member of the house, squares the field perfectly with powerful kicks, Clermont pushes, gets a scrum 5 meters from in-goal that does not give anything but, above all, occupies the yellow and black field. Another missed touch, another penalty, skirmish, La Rochelle lost control, which Plisson took advantage of (13-3, 54th).
Leyds answers (13-6, 58th), Ronan O’Gara opens his bench and the 5th penalty is the right one, Yoan Tanga collapses in the in-goal (13-11, 61st) and the South African reveals himself a little more his qualities as a scorer (13-13, 62nd). The first line of substitutes sinks the only two scrums of his team, enough to instill doubts in the spans of the Michelin even if Brice Dulin, touched in the knee (70th) must leave behind an inverted Teddy Thomas.
Problem, players miss again on a Berjon clear. Plisson, in a clear injection of confidence after months of suffering on the edge of the Atlantic, overtakes his team (16-13, 74) and then takes his former team out of the bonus (19-13, 77 and 22-13). , 79) to the delight of an entranced audience, delighted to witness the opener’s revenge on him. The Rochelais, defeated for the first time this season, are now third before receiving a Racing 92 team that will have things to forgive on Saturday.