Racing recover from poor start to claim quarter-final spot
Racing 92 set up a Champions Cup quarter-final against Sale as they came from behind to beat Stade Francais 33-22 yesterday Sunday.
The victory gave the hosts a 55-31 aggregate win, but they had to come from behind to make sure of it, with the visitors 22-13 up at half-time to close the deficit to three after Racing’s 22-9 triumph in last week’s first leg.
Stade Francais had come out determined to undo last week’s damage, scoring early tries through Telusa Veainu and Adrien Lapegue to take a 15-3 lead, but a 35th-minute red card for Sefa Naivalu changed the equation.
Wenceslas Lauret pulled one back for Scottish standoff Finn Russell’s side before Lapegue responded, but a second-half brace from Teddy Thomas, and a second for Lauret, sealed the win.
In the Challenge Cup, Saracens booked their place in the quarter-finals with a thrilling 40-33 victory over Cardiff at the Stonex Stadium.
The hosts were pushed all the way, but held out to secure the win, and will play Gloucester on the weekend of 7 May.
Owen Farrell kicked three penalties to put Saracens 9-6 ahead, with Rhys Priestland sending over two of his own in reply.
Dom Morris breached the Cardiff defence for the first try of the game four minutes before the break and Farrell’s conversion gave the home side a 10-point cushion.
But the Welsh side hit back on the stroke of half-time through Tomos Williams’ try and Priestland converted to reduce the deficit to 16-13 at the break.
Williams was then the chief architect for Owen Lane’s try in the 48th minute that saw them go ahead for the first time and Priestland added the extras to give them a fourpoint advantage at 20-16.
But Saracens rallied and a pair of tries from Sean Maitland and scores from Aled Davies and Max Malins saw them move into a comfortable lead.
Farrell added two conversions to put Saracens 40-26 upwith12minutesremaining, with Priestland having kicked two more penalties.
But Cardiff kept battling and Rhys Carre burrowed over late on with Jarrod Evans adding the conversion, but Sarries held on to secure their meeting with the Cherry and Whites.