Leader of group 2 of the Top 12, Mulhouse can almost validate his ticket for the play-offs if he dominates this Saturday (4 p.m.) at home the red lantern Oullins, while Strasbourg can say goodbye to them if he misses at the Arras dolphin during the 7e national interclub day.
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Today at 4:48 p.m.
“The game is almost done”, we wrote on Monday January 30 two days after the first day of the return phase of the national interclubs.
For the two Alsatian clubs in Group 2 of the Top 12, Red Star Mulhouse, victorious on 28 at Racing Club de France (5-3), and ASPTT Strasbourg, beaten by the same score at Koenigshoffen by Cholet and relegated to the 4e place, far from the two qualifiers for the play-offs of May 5 and 6 in Élancourt, these games could well be made from the 7e episode this Saturday (4 p.m.).
Red Star Mulhouse wants to “avoid Fos in the semis”
Still leading one point ahead of his runner-up Arras and, above all, seven and eight ahead of Cholet, 3e and the ASPTTS, the Red Star should, except in a cataclysm, dictate its law at the Palais des Sports to the virtually condemned red lantern, Oullins, which it had dynamited on the way to the Rhône, offensive bonus as a bonus (8- 0).
If he will play without Arnaud Merklé, still convalescing after his hip operation, nor the Englishwoman Jessica Pugh, exempted from this meeting, he will align his very recent champions of France, Thom Gicquel (in mixed) and Margot Lambert (in doubles ). A sixth victory would bring him closer to the final phase which he hosted in May 2022. For his first participation, he was then adorned with bronze.
The ASPTT clings to its tiny hope of play-offs
“It could be tighter, however predicts its captain François Schmitt-Baagoe. It’s a test. I hope that the motivation will be at the maximum and that the players will do the “taf” at home. Depending on the other results, it is true that we can take a big option. The objective is to finish the regular phase in front of Arras to avoid Fos, first in the other group, in the semi-finals of the play-offs. »
These play-offs, the ASPTTS, vice-champion 2022, has little chance of tasting it. Only a feat on Saturday in the lair of Arrageois who are well on their way to qualifying would keep a tiny hope alive.
“This is our last chance, has no illusions captain postman Julien Fuchs, deprived of the Hungarian Agnes Korosi, replaced by Malya Hoareau (16). Mathematically, it’s still playable and we’re not going to let go. We are going to Arras to win. We will review later. »
In pool 1 of N2 overflown by an undefeated ASPTTS II (4 wins, 2 draws) and traveling to Morteau, 4e five teams battle to escape the 6e place synonymous with descent.
But the position of ES2B, 2e despite four matches without a win (three draws, one loss), is more enviable than that of a Red Star II last after an even longer series of failures (four failures, then a draw), which it will challenge at 1 p.m. Palais des Sports as a prelude to the Top 12.
In Village-Neuf, the Volant des 3 Frontières, 3e will try to dismiss an ASL Robertsau 5e that he is ahead of only two units (18 against 16).
The top of the hen 1 of N3 will take place at 3 p.m. in Dommartemont between the relegated Lorraine of N2, author of a grand slam so far and already very close to finding it, and an ASPTT Strasbourg III second who only fell to go to his room (3-5).
Colmar: loosening the noose
For its part, ENABad, 4e returned with a draw from Gondreville during the 2e day (4-4), will want to at least confirm this result at home against the promoted, 3e to keep the two relegated players at a distance, Sarreguemines, 5e et Nancy-Villers, 6e which compete at the first named.
In pool 2, the promoted kembesois, 3e who has not won for four days (two losses, two draws), will be on his guard at 3 p.m. at the last Bourg-en-Bresse / Ceyzériat which, after five defeats, fought back at the end of January in Colmar (4 -4).
As for the Colmarians, 5es and relegated after two failures followed by three draws, they will strive, for their second straight outing at home, to return to success or, failing that, to save the draw against the runner-up, Étupes, who had beaten them only 5-3 in the first leg and has just been punished at home by the untouchable leader from Dijon (0-8).
A golden record in “France”
The 2023 French championships, which ended on Sunday in Cesson-Sévigné, near Rennes, allowed the Alsatians to equal their medal record – seven – set a year earlier in Boulazac. But while they were “content” with two titles in Dordogne – the Mulhousesiens Thom Gicquel in mixed and Margot Lambert in women’s doubles -, they did better in Ille-et-Vilaine: three, as in Mulhouse in 2020.
Thom Gicquel, 5e world, conquered his fifth scepter in mixed with the Camblysienne Delphine Delrue, after 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2022 (the vice-champions of Europe 2022 were absent in 2021, note).
Margot Lambert and Anne Tran (Racing Club de France) kept their trophy in a double that the Red Star player, already crowned at home in 2020 with Vimala Hériau, won for the third time. Finally, William Villeger (ASPTT Strasbourg) capped his first senior crown in men’s doubles with the other Strasbourg licensed in Maromme, Julien Maïo, now quadruple French champion of this DH which he had won in 2017, 2018 and 2019 with his ex-partner Bastian Kersaudy.
His ASPTTS comrade Rosy Pancasari finished his collection of metals by offering the only one he lacked, silver in ladies’ singles, after the gold of the mixed in 2021 and the bronze of this same SD in 2022. bronze medals for Camille Pognante (RSM) in women’s doubles and Alex Lanier (ASPTTS) in men’s singles – as in 2021 – and mixed complete the regional harvest.
St.G.
