Racing 92 begin post-Kolisi era with win over Clermont
WRAP: England captain Owen Farrell scored five points as Racing 92 beat Clermont 33-20 in the French Top 14 on Saturday.
Racing’s maiden victory of the season marked their first game since South Africa captain Siya Kolisi announced his departure after just one season of his three-year deal.
The hosts crossed for three tries in six minutes during the second half from Owen Farrell’s compatriot Henry Arundell, France centre Gael Fickou and scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec, Antoine Dupont’s understudy with Les Bleus.
Farrell, 32, missed three shots and goal and was shown a yellow card just before the break.
“I thought he was generally good, but a little less good kicking at the posts,” Racing 92 assistant coach Frederic Michalak told reporters.
“The yellow card was a bit severe.
“Maybe the referee just wanted to show a yellow card to an English player!” Michalak jokingly added in reference to the cross-Channel rivalry.
A much-changed Clermont, coached by the colourful Christophe Urios, followed last weekend’s win at Pau by defeat despite leading by four points with 20 minutes to play.
The game was moved across the French capital to a fourth-tier football ground in the suburb of Creteil as flyhalf Farrell made his home debut after his summer move from Saracens.
Racing’s usual La Defense Arena home is being re-adapted for rugby after it was used as a swimming venue at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The sides went into the break 13-13 apiece as Farrell was sin-binned for offside in the build-up to Clermont flyhalf Anthony Belleau’s try.
Andy Farrell, dad of Owen was in the stands.
The 49 year-old will take charge of the British and Irish Lions for next year’s tour of Australia and can select his son even if he is ineligible for England as he plays his club rugby abroad.
Racing’s three crucial tries came just after the hour mark, the highlight being Fickou’s effort, set-up by 32-year-old flyhalf Farrell.
Bus block
Elsewhere, former Scotland captain Stuart Hogg missed Montpellier’s 26-7 win over Perpignan.
The match came days after the 32-year-old was arrested and then granted bail for allegedly breaching previous bail conditions ahead of his trial for domestic abuse.
The game took place 96km east of Perpignan on the Mediterranean coast in Beziers as the pitch at the Catalans’ home of Stade Aime-Giral is being re-laid.
Before kick-off the passionate Perpignan fans stopped their side’s bus 300m from the stadium, forcing their players to walk the rest of the journey through hundreds of roaring supporters.
Earlier, former New Zealand scrumhalf Brad Weber scored twice as Stade Francais held on to beat newly-promoted Vannes 34-31.
Weber, 33, crossed either side of the break as the Parisians won for the first time this campaign having lost at Bordeaux-Begles in their season-opener last weekend.
Vannes, the first club from Brittany to feature in the French top-flight, followed up last Sunday’s defeat to champions Toulouse with another loss despite coming within three points of their hosts with a minute to play at Stade Jean Bouin.
The weekend’s blockbuster game is La Rochelle’s trip to Toulouse on Sunday in a re-run of the 2021 and 2023 finals.
French rugby’s poster boy Dupont remains on holiday and unavailable for Toulouse after clinching gold at the Olympics and rugby sevens.
Scrumhalf Dupont was part of the post-Games parade held in Paris on Saturday as French athletes were celebrated on the Champs-Elysees.
