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Les Ciel et Blanc peuvent composter dimanche (14h) leur billet pour un deuxième quart de Champions Cup de rang. Un succès à Colombes face aux Scarlets de Llanelli devrait suffire aux coéquipiers de Dan Carter. - 14/01/2016 13:31
Racing-92 will book their place in the quarter-finals of the European Rugby Champions Cup for the second year in a row with a win over Scarlets.
The Parisians are unbeaten and seven points clear of Northampton Saints at the top of Pool 3.
And victory over the pool’s bottom side will guarantee their progress and a step closer to home advantage in the quarter-finals.
Key to success will be their pack who secured a bonus-point win over Glasgow Warriors last week with three tries from driving mauls.
Head coach Laurent Travers said: “We wanted to player an open style of rugby but we played into Glasgow’s hands by trying to run the ball. So we decided to keep things simple and play a more direct game, which worked.
“We are now in a good position but we have not qualified yet.”
Racing will be only too aware that Scarlets wrecked their European hopes two years ago at the exact same stage of the group when the Welsh side pulled off a 19-13 win at Colombes.
Kristian Phillips crossed for Scarlets while Rhys Priestland kicked 14 points in the second-half comeback.
Though Racing exacted some revenge when they won 29-12 at Parc Y Scarlets.
Scarlets head coach Wayne Pivac said: “Apart from Racing at home and Glasgow away in Europe, all our losses have been by four points or fewer. We are giving ourselves chances in all the games.
“We haven’t dwelt on our injuries, you just have to get on with it. Every team is in the same boat to a degree. We seem to have had a lot of big names missing, but the guys who are coming in to get the job done are the ones who had us win six from six at the start of the season when the World Cup was on.
“So we know this will be a very tough assignment against a team with world class players, but it is a great challenge for us as a side and we will be looking to put in a good performance and try and make up for some of the disappointment we felt after the home game.”
Match Facts
- This will be the fourth meeting between these sides with honours even so far; both sides have picked up away wins and the first meeting (in Wales) was drawn.
- This is the 5th year in a row that Racing will find themselves at home in the 5th Round of the Champions Cup, however they have lost three of the previous four such matches.
- Scarlets have lost their last five away games in Europe, only once before (6 games between 2007 and 2009) have they lost more on the spin.
- The Welsh region have won just once in their last nine fixtures against French sides (L7, D1), however that win came against Racing in France in 2014.
Racing 92 sealed a home quarter-final tie in the European Champions Cup with a record victory over Scarlets in Paris. - 17/01/2016 16:01
Racing 92 sealed a home quarter-final tie in the European Champions Cup with a record victory over Scarlets in Paris.
Racing racked up their biggest win in the tournament while also inflicting Scarlets’ heaviest defeat in Europe.
Casey Laulala scored a hat-trick as the French league leaders ran in nine tries at Stade Yves-du-Manoir.
Former All Black Laulala crossed twice while Juan Imhoff, Bernard Le Roux, Louis Dupichot also touched down in the first half that also saw Scarlets briefly reduced to 13 men.
Scarlets reduced the damage on the scoreboard with tries from DTH van der Merwe and Gareth Davies early in the second half. But Imhoff claimed his second after the pack secured a penalty try and Johan Goosen and Laulala completed the rout late on.
Dan Carter opened the scoring with a penalty before Imhoff combined with Dupichot and raced clear for the opening try on 13 minutes. Scarlets lock Maselino Paulino was then shown a yellow card for a high tackle and wing van der Merwe followed moments later for a tip-tackle that left them facing Racing with just 13 players for a five-minute spell.
Racing capitalised with three tries in quick succession. Mike Phillips caught Scarlets out-numbered on the blindside with a pass for Laulala to grab his first. Flanker Le Roux then latched onto a clever cross-field kick from Remi Tales.
Paulino returned but Dupichot made the most of opposite number van der Merwe’s yellow card when he raced clear to clinch the bonus point that Racing needed to secure a home tie in the quarter-finals. Laulala then stepped through a tiring Scarlets defence on the stroke of half-time for a staggering 38-0 lead at half-time.
Scarlets had little more than pride to play for and managed a comeback of sorts early in the second half.
Van der Merwe grabbed his first European try for his new club after Paulino’s break. Ex-Wales scrum-half Phillips was binned as Scarlets pressed and his successor Davies made the most of the space from the back of a scrum to grab a second try on 51 minutes.
However, any thoughts of a bonus point were swept aside as the Racing pack combined with a driving maul that earned a penalty try.
Imhoff was in support to take a scoring pass from Chris Masoe for his second try that took Racing past 50 points.
Davies and Steven Shingler went close for Scarlets but Goosen added a try that he converted before Laulala completed his hat-trick two minutes from time to take Racing past 60 points for the first time in Europe.
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