Stade Français and Racing 92 prepare for Top 14 play-off showdown
Stade Français take on Racing 92 in the opening fixture of the Top 14 play-offs on Saturday, as the two sides vie for a semi-final place against league leaders Toulouse.
Les Stadistes will relish a return to play-off rugby after their disappointing 11th-placed finish last year, a much-improved 2022-23 season seeing them sit on in fourth with 67 points — the same number as third-placed Lyon OU.
Racing 92 were fifth in the regular season, one point behind their opponents, but have had the better of their fellow Parisian side in recent years, winning four of their last five meetings.
Racing boss Laurent Travers has managed his side for over a decade, but a loss would make this his fixture last in charge, Englishman Stuart Lancaster coming in to lead the side next season.
Despite being two of the most successful Top 14 clubs of all time, with 20 top-flight titles between them, both sides lost last time out, Stade Français beaten 14-10 by a much-changed La Rochelle side, while Racing lost 32-25 to Clermont Auvergne.
With a league-leading 734 points gathered this season by a free-scoring Racing side, their potent offense will be met by the miserly defence of Stade Français, whose 480 points conceded makes them the third-strongest defensive side behind table-topping Toulouse (474) and second-placers La Rochelle (479).
Facing off at the 19,904 capacity Stade Jean-Bouin under the watchful eye of referee Pierre Brousset, both sides will look to their star fly-halves.
Frenchman Joris Segonds has been prolific for Stade Français this season, his 232 points the most scored by a single player in the Top 14 this season, including 58 penalties — 10 more than any other player.
Occupying second place in those standings is Racing’s Finn Russell, the Scot having scored 221 points this season, including two tries.
Racing will look to their back line for plenty of offensive production, French international and captain Gaël Fickou having scored six tries in his last eight games, including two in the Six Nations.
The centre, who was at Stade Français before moving to Racing in 2021, was unequivocal when talking to French outlet L’Equipe.
He said: “If we lose, it will be a failed season.”
Out on the wing, Fijian Vinaya Habosi could feature after being replaced partway through Racing’s penultimate regular season game.
The talented winger only made his debut on February 25th, but since then has scored four tries for the Paris-based club, three of those coming in his last two appearances.
Also on a hot streak is left wing Juan Imhoff, scoring a try in each of his three appearances since coming back into the Racing side at the beginning of May.
Fellow wing Donovan Taofifenua has played sporadically for Les Racingmen in recent weeks after consistent appearances at the beginning and in the middle of the campaign, but his last three outings in blue and white have seen him score three tries, and he could prove a much-needed scoring outlet from the bench on Saturday.
Arthur Coville has been a fixture at scrum half for Les Stadistes towards the end of the season, and two tries against a strong Lyon team in the penultimate regular season game are a sign of the attacking potency he brings to the Paris side.
Whilst winning has been hard to come by of late for Stade Français, two wins in their last eight a particularly dire run of form, they could look to wing pairing Peniasi Dakuwaqa and Lester Étien.
The Fijian and the Frenchman both scored in wins recently for the men in pink, Étien providing the sole try in their 19-10 win over Toulouse, while Dakuwaqa gathered a brace in the 27-22 victory away at Brive.
With an average pack weight of 898 kg in their last five fixtures, Racing will face a challenge against the bulkier Stade Français forwards (average 921 kg), with siblings and props Moses and Paul Alo-Emile likely to feature.
Forward tries have been hard to come by for Stade Français, however, Sekou Macalou’s pair of tries the only point-scoring output from their forwards in their last five games.
Despite a stiff challenge awaiting him, Racing prop Trevor Nyakane is anticipating an exciting forward battle.
He told Midi Olympique: “I have the impression that in France, the scrum has a completely different importance [to elsewhere]. In the Top 14 therefore, every week I face a different challenge, against formidable scrum specialists.”
