Stade Français Secures Top 14 Semi-Finals Spot with Decisive Win Over Toulon

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Stade Français Secures Top 14 Semi-Final Spot with Win over Toulon

Solid and still imperial at home, Stade Français validated its ticket for the Top 14 semi-finals by mastering Toulon on Saturday (23-20). Under the threat of a third RCT before the game, Paris (almost) did not tremble to maintain its second final place and avoid a perilous jump-off.

Thanks to this ranking, the best in seventeen years, the Parisians will find Bordeaux-Bègles or Racing 92, who saved their place in the top 6 at the last minute by obtaining a defensive bonus point in La Rochelle (24-19). This small point, won thanks to a try by Maxime Baudonne transformed by Tristan Tedder (78th), allows the Racingmen to finish tied in the standings with Castres, whom they are ahead of in direct confrontations this season. The Ciel et Blanc have avoided a first elimination before the final phase since their club returned to the Top 14 in 2009.

In a once again full Jean-Bouin stadium, Paris relied on its patience, a weapon which has proven itself throughout the season. While Toulon got stuck between inaccuracies and bad choices, Stade Français methodically built its success.

His second try, scored upwind by Giovanni Habel-Küffner at the end of a long sequence of shelling orchestrated by Rory Kockott (38th, 17-3), after two failures at the foot of Melvyn Jaminet, perfectly sums up this pragmatism. This had already been observed for the first time, when Lester Etien, served at the end of the line, improved the control of his forwards on a carried ball (6th, 7-0).

Paris did not venture much further near the Toulon line, but in reality did not need it. Two penalties converted by Joris Segonds, including one from 50m in the corner, were enough to maintain a significant gap. A scrum returned to the opposing camp, just after the second Var try, from Leicester Fainga'anuku (76th, 23-20), definitively changed the match.

For the rest, the Stadistes mainly focused on thwarting the RCT, as they had done against Bordeaux-Bègles three weeks earlier (22-18). The numerous camp outings messed up by Melvyn Jaminet are an illustration of this, as are the two Toulon carried balls rendered unproductive near the line.

Paris only experienced one air gap, following the yellow card of Peniasi Dakuwaqa (58th), sanctioned with a 10-0 including a Var try by Facundo Isa (58th, 17-13). But as a reflection of this flawless regular season, the Parisian consistency throughout the game took precedence over the Var freshness of the moment.

With this ninth match without a loss in a row at home, the longest streak since 2016, Paris has two weeks to prepare for its half. Which will be contested in Bordeaux, like in 2015 during the last Brennus.

Racing had a narrow escape. Condemned to miss the final stages until the last minutes, which would have been a first time since its return to the elite, during the 2009-2010 season, the Ile-de-France team ended up saving its lead thanks to a try in the last minutes of Maxime Baudonne, synonymous with a defensive bonus despite the setback on the pitch at Stade Rochelais (24-19) on the occasion of the 26th and final day of Top 14. 6th before the final day of Top 14, the Racing was almost beaten to the post by Castres Olympique, winner in the storm of Bayonne (17-23).

By winning at home against the red lantern Oyonnax (38-7), Union Bordeaux-Bègles overtook RC Toulon, beaten in Paris, to finish third and have the advantage of receiving the play-off at Chaban-Delmas against Racing. The other play-off will therefore oppose Stade Rochelais and Toulon, which will host the 2023 European champion at Stade Mayol.