The Stade Toulouse has almost punched its ticket for the quarterfinals of the European Cup from the 4th day, Saturday December 14, after its victory in Montpellier (26-18). For their part, still in group 5 of the competition, the Montpellier residents are already eliminated. Like Lyon, beaten on the lawn of Treviso (25-22), in pool 1.
Much more jostled than last week by the Héraultais (23-9), the Toulouse Reds and Blacks still won with the offensive bonus point, scoring almost each of their incursions into the opposing camp. Twice by the second row Rory Arnold and once by the winger Lucas Tauzin, after the siren for the fourth try, synonymous with an offensive bonus point.
With this fourth success, the defending French champions, outgoing semi-finalists of the European Cup, are nine points ahead of Gloucester (9 points), who collected two bonus points despite his defeat on the wire (27-24 ) on the Connacht Irish lawn (8 points). Montpellier (5 points) is out of the race and has again reached its limits on the European scene (only one final phase contested, in 2013).
The Saracens make the Racing affair
A success during the last two days against one of these two teams and the Toulousains will have mathematically ensured their qualification, which is no doubt. A defensive bonus should even be enough, but they are mainly targeting a home quarterfinal, which should go through two successes.
To obtain one of the first four places in the group stage, they compete with Leinster (14 points in group 1, one game less), Exeter (14 points in group 2, one game less), l 'Ulster (17 points) and Clermont (11 points, one game less) in Pool 3 and Racing (17 points in Pool 4).
Friday night winners of the Ospreys (40-27), the Parisians of Racing received good news on Saturday with the Saracens' victory (15-6) (10 points) against Munster (11 points): a success at the next day, January 12, at home, against the Irish and they will be qualified.
