Montpellier – Racing 92: the official composition of the teams, without the heels Chat and Tarrit, excluded

Racing 92 is still in the dark. Non-existent in Sale (29-7) in the Champions Cup last weekend, the Racingmen, 8th, made a perilous trip to Montpellier (9th), Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for the 12th day of Top 14. A defeat against the MHR, who continues its rise from the bottom of the ranking, could land the Ile-de-France residents in the Top 6.

“Our situation in the ranking means that we have no margin. It’s a very important match this weekend in Montpellier from all points of view,” admitted Racing 92 scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec. Since the end of the international break, the Ciel et Blanc have lost their two Top 14 matches as well as their second European Cup match.

Racing 92 assistant coach Dimitri Szarzewski wants to use the defeat in the European Cup against Sale (29-7) as a “preparation match”. “It’s a bit of the same team profile as Montpellier (…) strong up front with a good occupation game, a good pressure game,” he said on Tuesday.

As expected, Racing will be deprived of two hookers, Camille Chat and Janick Tarrit, removed from the group on Monday after an extra-sporting incident according to Midi-Olympique, L’Equipe referring to an “alcoholic evening”.

In the absence of Chat and Tarrit, the Australian Feleti Kaitu’u, who arrived this season as a medical joker, starts at heel to face the MHR on Saturday, the young hopeful Robin Couly taking his place on the substitutes’ bench. Blues second row Romain Taofifenua, absent for several weeks after a concussion suffered against New Zealand, returns as a starter.

Still deprived of his English international Owen Farrell, who was operated on for pubalgia in November, manager Stuart Lancaster is fielding a big team, including the pair of centers Tuisova-Fickou, and the hinge Le Garrec – Gibert, the latter being preferred to Dan Lancaster, on the bench.