Oscar Jegou who makes his return, Will Skelton who becomes a winger and the very slow pace of the match… The tops and flops of Stade Rochelais’ victory over Paris.
TOPS
Applauded and positive return for Oscar Jegou
It was one of the attractions of this meeting between Stade Rochelais and Stade Français (35-18). Four months after the start of the Mendoza affair, Oscar Jegou made his return to the Top 14 pitches with La Rochelle. Applauded by his supporters when the teams were announced, he delivered a good copy. While one might have expected some physical difficulties with a truncated preparation, he responded from the first to the last minute. In addition to his 100% tackling (12/12), he was decisive on Teddy Thomas’ try by slipping the ball to Leyds for the penultimate pass and above all scored the bonus try at the hour of play. All before seeing his name chanted by Marcel-Deflandre. The 21-year-old responded with his fingers…
«It’s very good for everyone, especially for the fans, to see Oscar perform like that. It’s Vincent Merling and Pierre Venayre (president and general manager of Stade Rochelais, Editor’s note) who decided that it was his time to play. I had no opinion because these were things dictated above me. Afterwards, starting him was obvious because he is a class player», commented Ronan O’Gara after the meeting on Canal +.
Skelton can do it all
We already knew him for his power, his disconcerting technique with ball in hand on certain actions or even his ability to annihilate opposing mauls… We discovered a new talent in him this Saturday evening: that of finishing actions like a winger. Served by a pass to the foot of Dulin along the sidelines, the giant Australian second row accelerated before finishing like a bulldozer on two totally helpless Parisian defenders. Despite his slight knee scare, he held out until the 73rd minute and also achieved 100% on his tackles (10/10).
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Top 14: La Rochelle recovers in style against Stade français
Carbonel has limited the damage
If Stade Français was in the lead at the break, it was largely thanks to its opener, unfazed by the poles with a 6/6. If he did not shine with his animation with his back lines, Louis Carbonel perfectly applied the game plan desired by his staff with an occupation largely in favor of the Stade Français in the first period before the tide completely turned for the French Stadium.
FLOPS
Stade Français was unable to adapt
The game plan was the right one. With the support of the wind, Stade Français dominated the proceedings in the first period with a false rhythm which suited them perfectly until La Rochelle started to play. Confined to trying to play the occupation even against the wind, the Parisians were quickly asphyxiated in their camp under the pressure from La Rochelle. Everything changed at half-time and Sekou Macalou’s teammates never managed to reverse the trend, except in the last five minutes, when the score was already made. Too late.
A slow, very slow pace
This is also what follows from the Stade Français game plan; but, this Saturday evening, we were bored for a long time by this meeting. A first period of extreme poverty where the crossings of the two teams could be counted on the fingers of one hand. Teddy Thomas’s try aside, the minutes were long as evidenced by this Marcel Deflandre stadium which was only too little ignited, due to lack of play. If there was better during the second act with some sparks lit by the Rochelais, we still hoped for another show.
