2023-12-10 21:46:01
Habosi caught in the pincers. MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP
The Ciel et Blanc were overthrown by the English Harlequins (28-31) on the first day of the Champions Cup this Sunday.
At the end of a pleasant match in which eight tries were scored, Racing 92 was beaten by Harlequins (28-31) this Sunday for the first day of the Champions Cup. The Ciel et Blanc scored four tries by Le Garrec (15th, 43rd), Gibert (40th) and Diallo (58th). The English scored three by the brilliant Marcus Smith (22nd) as well as Esterhuizen (25th) and Dombrandt (61st). At the end of the game, the Racingmen let the game slip away a few meters from the Quins goal.
In a first half where the visitors showed their advantage, it was Harlequins who thought of scoring the first try of the match. After a lot of work from Lamb, Care was able to finish in the Racing goal. But after rewatching the action, the referee considered that he had made a double move (14th). And two minutes later, it was Le Garrec who finally opened the scoring. After a good kick from Gibert, Kolisi moved up the field. At the end of the action, it was the Garrec who flattened before transforming. But Smith, untenable on Sunday evening, responded quickly by mystifying the Ile-de-France defense with a beautiful pass feint (23rd). The start of the storm for Racing, which conceded a second try two minutes later (25th) by South African center Estherhuizen. Smith, again, then increased his team’s lead to 10 points with a well-felt drop from 40 meters (38th, 17-7). But just before the break, the locals reacted with Gibert after a lot of work from the forwards. Thanks to Le Garrec’s transformation, Racing returned to the locker room trailing by just three points.
From an improved victory… to a defeat
Back on the pitch, Kolisi’s teammates had a dream start to the second half. Thanks to a double from Le Garrec, they got back in front (42nd). And after (new) hard work from the Ciel et Blanc forwards, Diallo scored another try (58th). But the Quins did not appear dejected, and also scored two new tries by Dombrandt (61st) and Walker (65th) which allowed them to get back in front. At the end of the match, Racing pushed but another forward five meters from the goal line condemned them to defeat, at the end of a crazy match.
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