Racing vs Sale - Sunday

[Puja]

Racing 92: 15 Max Spring, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Ibrahim Diallo, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 3 Cedate Gomes Sa, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Hassane Kolinga
Replacements: 16 Teddy Baubigny, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Baptiste Pesenti, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Antoine Gibert, 23 Virimi Vakatawa


1 Bevan Rodd
2 Akker van der Merwe
3 Nick Schonert
4 Jean-Luc du Preez
5 Lood de Jager
6 Jono Ross
7 Tom Curry
8 Daniel du Preez
9 Faf de Klerk
10 AJ MacGinty
11 Simon Hammersley
12 Manu Tuilagi
13 Robert du Preez
14 Tom Roebuck
15 Luke James

Substitutes

16 Ewan Ashman
17 Simon McIntyre
18 Coenie Oosthuizen
19 Cobus Wiese
20 Ben Curry
21 Gus Warr
22 Sam James
23 Rohan Janse van Rensburg

[Puja]

Just the 6 South Africans in the starting pack for Sale this time, as Tom Curry makes his triumphant return. They'll be given a massive boost by having AJ McGinty back, as well as Manu getting back into the swing of things. Can realistically only see this game going one way though.

Puja

[Numbers]

Racing 92: 15 Max Spring, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Ibrahim Diallo, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 3 Cedate Gomes Sa, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Hassane Kolinga
Replacements: 16 Teddy Baubigny, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Baptiste Pesenti, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Antoine Gibert, 23 Virimi Vakatawa

I bet he's good under the high ball

[Puja]

Racing 92: 15 Max Spring, 14 Teddy Thomas, 13 Gael Fickou, 12 Henry Chavancy, 11 Juan Imhoff, 10 Finn Russell, 9 Nolann Le Garrec, 8 Yoan Tanga, 7 Ibrahim Diallo, 6 Wenceslas Lauret, 5 Anton Bresler, 4 Baptiste Chouzenoux, 3 Cedate Gomes Sa, 2 Camille Chat, 1 Hassane Kolinga
Replacements: 16 Teddy Baubigny, 17 Eddy Ben Arous, 18 Trevor Nyakane, 19 Bernard Le Roux, 20 Baptiste Pesenti, 21 Maxime Machenaud, 22 Antoine Gibert, 23 Virimi Vakatawa

I bet he's good under the high ball

His jumping attribute on rugby games would surely be 100. Not possible to go higher.

Puja

[FKAS]

Pretty stacked bench for Racing. Do you think they've seen Sale tire in Prem games and fancy containing them first half and then emptying the bench to finish the job in the second?

[Timbo]

I think for Prem fans this game feels like there will be only one winner- Racing-, but I’ve heard a few pundits that follow the Top14 closely describe this as a tight game to call. Maybe they’re overestimating Sale slightly, but I also think that Racing have been pretty average in their league this season. They certainly weren’t very impressive in the last 16 home game against a mediocre Stade Francais.

[Scrumhead]

Can’t say I’d ever really imagined Anton Bresler starting for a club like Racing in European Cup knock out games.

[fivepointer]

Racing are 4th in the Top14 so cant be doing that badly. I expect Sale are going to have their hands full. Their away form isnt great and it would be an upset for them to win.

[Puja]

I think for Prem fans this game feels like there will be only one winner- Racing-, but I’ve heard a few pundits that follow the Top14 closely describe this as a tight game to call. Maybe they’re overestimating Sale slightly, but I also think that Racing have been pretty average in their league this season. They certainly weren’t very impressive in the last 16 home game against a mediocre Stade Francais.

6-10 at half-time. Maybe those pundits know their stuff?

Puja

[chris1850]

Sale forwards have been immense in the first half. Can they keep it up for the second though?

[Mellsblue]

So it’s ok just to jump onto the face of the fullback meaning….. what Monye said.

[32nd Man]

Being able to put Vakatawa on for the last 20 is quite handy.

[chris1850]

Racing just too good in the 2nd half unfortunately. Some odd decisions, or lack of them, but that didn't affect the outcome

[Mellsblue]

Racing just too good in the 2nd half unfortunately. Some odd decisions, or lack of them, but that didn't affect the outcome

Spot on.

[fivepointer]

Racing were the better side but Sale were badly done to with some of the officiating. The lack of proper review for a number of incidents was quite shocking.

[Timbo]

Sale have an incredibly ponderous set of outside backs. Only Roebuck that looks athletically close to top level. Especially on this Racing pitch I think you need to some pace in your back line.

[Mr Mwenda]

Anything from Tuilagi?

[Danno]

Anything from Tuilagi?

Scored a try, got to Russell a couple of times and I think he played the 80 without anything crumbling.

[chris1850]

Sale have an incredibly ponderous set of outside backs. Only Roebuck that looks athletically close to top level. Especially on this Racing pitch I think you need to some pace in your back line.

It's been a perennial problem. Reed, who would have started in place of Hammersley, had he not have been banned, is exceptionally quick. But he and Roebuck are very young and were basically Academy players until early this year. Great prospects though and both have taken their first team opportunities well. At the start of the season, Solomona, Yarde and McGuigan were the regular selections but all have dropped by the wayside for different reasons since. At centre, Manu and RJvR are injury prone, Sam Hill has been injured most season, and has never really settled anyway. Sam James has been badly out of form and is terribly slow. Luke James has wrestled first choice FB from Hammersley, but he is steady rather than exciting and Hammersley, whilst safe under the high ball is almost as slow as Sam James. And that's saying something.

In addition Faf, Quirke and AJ have been injured for much of the season. Our best combination has been Luke James, Reed, Rob du Preez, Manu/RJVR, Roebuck, AJM, Faf/Quirke but we have rarely been able to field that this season. In addition, of those, only Manu and Quirke might start ahead of the incumbents in any of the current top sides. Faf too, for sure, when he recovers some form, but not on this seasons performances.

O'Flaherty is a welcome addition and of course Ford is a step up from Maginty. We need Reed and Roebuck to kick on next season and hopefully one or more of Carpenter, Gourlay and Doherty to break through. In the meantime, we need a top centre to replace RJVR though ideally who can also play 13.

At least the pack is strong generally, with some good depth

[Timbo]

Would you agree, that aside from the odd good game or brilliant ‘moment’ that Faf has really not had a statement run of form for a long while now? I’d say that only really his first season when he was consistently top class. I reckon Sale might miss him more in terms of off field leadership and personality than his performances on it.

[chris1850]

Would you agree, that aside from the odd good game or brilliant ‘moment’ that Faf has really not had a statement run of form for a long while now? I’d say that only really his first season when he was consistently top class. I reckon Sale might miss him more in terms of off field leadership and personality than his performances on it.

I think you're right although his 'off form' is still pretty good tbh. He just hasn't hit the heights often enough recently. Fantastic club man though and Raffis development will be his legacy. You can see Fafs influence.
Whatever though, it's been a privilege to have him at Sale