Local gem Lester adds sparkle to the Parisians
“Toulouse made eight changes at Agen in view of their imminent Champions Cup clash with Leinster but still stretched their unbeaten run to 12 matches”
Stade Francais, champions of France 14 times, have been able to feature some of the world’s great rugby names down the years thanks to their history, Parisian status and the money that helped create their trophy-winning glories.
But rarely have they made a local discovery as exciting and improbable as 23-year-old winger Lester Etien, who helped beat Perpignan 27-8 yesterday.
Etien, of Caribbean origins, grew up on the wrong side of the tracks in the crime-ridden suburb of Massy.
He did not even play rugby until he was 16 at a time his football skills had him dreaming of Paris St.Germain.
Once he had changed his ideas, he eventually wound up at Massy, the club that first revealed the potential of centre Mathieu Bastareaud.
And, in his first season with Stade, he has become a regular starter, scoring the opening try against Perpignan to add to the one he registered against Grenoble the week before.
His rocketing career almost cost him dearly as he struggled to adapt to professional demands, turning up late for training and being obliged to apologise to team-mates in the dressing-room. As well as receiving a serious dressing down by South African boss Heyneke Meyer, who kept faith in him.
Etien touched down early to launch Stade towards a third win in a row and renewed hope of a top-six finish. Billionaire German president HansPeter Wild may never find a better bargain.
If only promoted Perpignan could unearth similar local talent. They have lost every game and are surely destined to return to the Division Two they so recently shared with Etien.
Fijian winger Waisea Nayacalevu, centre Gael Fickou and replacement South African scrum-half Andre Warner added the tries that earned Stade a bonus point.
An encouraging comeback for France international Fickou, who had already scored six times before a rib injury sidelined him for a month.
Former England stalwart Joe Worsley must have been thrilled to take over from sacked compatriot Rory Teague and win his first four games in charge. A red card this time, however, for his Georgian No.8 Beka Gorgadze cost him the game after just 11 minutes.
An elbow into the neck of rival Baptiste Pesenti had Gorgodze trudging off with a try from hooker Quentin Lespiaucq giving Pau some initiative.
They certainly needed a break after six successive defeats had sent them plunging down the table and this 40-23 success could prove a turning point.
The game was still in the balance, though, when Bordeaux captain Jefferson Poirot reduced his team to 13 with a yellow card.
And Pau needed no further invitation to clean up with a late hat-trick of tries from Lespiaucq, once again, Kiwi prop Jamie Mackintosh and Aussie flanker Ben Mowen.
Toulouse, in second place sandwiched between leaders Clermont and La Rochelle, who play each other this evening, made eight changes at Agen in view of their imminent Champions Cup clash with Leinster.
That did not stop them stretching their unbeaten run to 12 matches at home and abroad, but Agen’s resis- tance was not easily overcome.
In fact, the teams were tied in the second half when Agen hit back after two early strikes from Maxime Medard and South African lock Rynhardt Elstadt.
Lock Denis Marchois returned from a yellow card to score their first try and Aussie fly-half Jake McIntye grabbed the second while kicking all their remaining points.
Not enough, though, to deny wingers Arthur Bonneval and Yann Huget from giving Toulouse a provisional lead at the top.
English defence coach Joe El Abd said his Castres team were showing signs of spirit during two defeats to Bordeaux-Begles and La Rochelle that cost them 85 points.
Whistling in the wind ? Whatever, they hit back with a 16-6 victory at Grenoble.
Castres hooker Marc-Antoine Rallier scored the decisive try early when intercepting a pass from centre Matthieu Ugalde and sprinting 60 metres to the line. The reliable boot of Argentine fly-half Bernard Urdapilleta did the rest.
Montpellier had not beaten a topsix team all season before encountering Lyon at home yesterday.
They still haven’t after losing conclusively to Lyon, who beat them 25-14 to condemn them to their fourth loss on their own pitch.
A truly unimpressive performance for a side constructed by a seriously ambitious president in Syrian mogul Mohed Altrad and a boss as highlytouted as Vern Cotter, the former Clermont champion and Scotland supremo, in charge.
So Lyon, who had walloped their rivals 55-13 at home, performed a double despite conceding two tries to the one scored for them by winger Rudi Wolf.
A try in each half from South African centre Jan Serfontein and hooker Romain Ruffenbach were no answer to their own indiscipline and the metronomic kicking of Lyon flyhalf Jonathan Wisniewski.
In ther late game, Racing piled more misery on Toulon with a 22-13 victory courtesy of tries from Teddy Thomas and Leon Nakarawa.