European Rugby Cup: Racing 92 fell to Bordeaux

“These are the ups and downs of rugby,” Maxim Machinaud strikes. Half of Racing 92, which on Sunday (1:30 pm) in the European Cup quarter-finals will challenge Bordeaux Biggles on the lawn at Shaban-Delmas Stadium, its captain, place Henri Chavansi, injured. But three-quarters of the historic horse racing center wouldn’t be the only notable absentee in this Franco-French clash.

French international players lost to Feremi Vakatawa, Bernard Le Roux and Teddy Thomas. As well as Irish full back Simon Zibo and New Zealand in second row Dominic Bird. Absences that were added to Russell’s Scottish-Finnish opening, still pending for two weeks due to his red card that he received with Scotland against the fifteenth of France … began to do a lot.

“The workforce is very large,” positive Maxim Machinoud. “We want to get a fourth final (Editor’s note: Racing was the vice-European champion in 2016, 2018, and 2020)And Laurent Travers, director of Ciel et Blanc, adds. In Russell’s absence, young Antoine Gibert, who trained at the club, would wear number 10 at Racing. The three-quarter streak will be almost unprecedented, with French-Australian duo Bill Clemenchuk in the middle and Argentine Emiliano Bovelli in defense.

Fight in the rain

The group is still very strong, with Camille Chat in the heels and Jordan Joseph in 8th, both in good shape last week in the Round of 16 against Edinburgh (56-3). And that will be necessary because the match can be played well upon conquest, Laurent Travers warns. In fact, rain was announced in Bordeaux all day long on Sunday. The climatic conditions that Racingman really no longer use in their indoor stadium at La Défense Arena.

This promises a highly competitive match against UBB, presented by international opener Matteo Galibert, starring with the Blues during the Six Nations Championship, and again decisively last week with his club against Bristol (36-17). UBB captain Jefferson Poirot said: “The race will be the best, they have European Cup experience.”

For Maxim Machenaud on the other hand, “it’s going to be 50-50”. At Top 14, Racing won Bordeaux early in the season, but lost by one point at home. Laurent Travers warns that “with casualties and weather conditions in particular, the context will be very different.”

Composition of Bordeaux-Bègles – Racing 92

Referee: M. Carly (Eng.).

Bordeaux Biggles: Poros – Cordero, Moivana, Lamirat, L – (Q) Galibert, (M) Funny – Betty, Higinbotham, Woki – Kazuo, Douglas – Cubillas, Maynadee, Poirot (hat). Alternatives: Duaiba, Kolashvili, Tamifuna, Golmas, Rumate, Lysgorges, Sotini, Docwing.

Race 92: Boffelli – Dupichot, Klemenczak, Beale, Imhoff – (o) Gibert, (m) Machenaud (cap.) – Chouzenoux, Joseph, Lauret – Ryan, Palu – Gomes Sa, Chat, Ben Arous. Alternates: Bobini, Jogichachvili, Colombi, Jones, Diallo, Iribarin, Trinh-Doc, Tauvevenua.