Champions Cup: Key Highlights from Matchday 4

Here are the key highlights from the fourth and final matchday of the Champions Cup group stage, which took place over the weekend.

Top Match: Racing 92 Ends on a High Note

Despite a difficult start to the tournament with three losses and only three points, Racing 92 managed to secure a spot in the top 16. At Paris La Défense Arena, Stuart Lancaster's team put in a dominant performance against Cardiff, securing a bonus-point victory with a score of 48-26. Racing 92 demonstrated their strength with three tries before halftime from Kitione Kamikamica (18th minute), Siya Kolisi (25th minute), and Inia Tabuavou (32nd minute). They continued this display in the second half, with Tristan Tedder (43rd minute), Christian Wade (47th minute), Maxime Baudonne (50th minute), and Janick Tarrit (76th minute) also crossing the try line. With just eight points, Racing 92 qualified for the round of 16 with the weakest record in the group stage and will now face Toulouse, a team that has been very impressive.

Flop Match: Stade Français Falters

On the other hand, their Parisian neighbors, Stade Français, had a disappointing end to their European campaign this season. After three consecutive defeats, they suffered a fourth loss against the Stormers, with a score of 20-24 at Stade Jean-Bouin. The home team had a 20-10 lead shortly before the hour mark but was overturned by the South African team. After a try by former Stade Français player Hendré Stassen (58th minute), the Cape-based team had the final say with a try from Springboks fly-half Manie Libbok (71st minute). Stade Français finished last in Group 4 with only two points and can now fully focus on the Top 14, where they currently sit in 3rd place.

Player of the Week: Antoine Hastoy Dominates the Sharks

Despite not being called up by Fabien Galthié for the Six Nations match against Ireland, Antoine Hastoy responded in style. In England, the fly-half played a crucial role in La Rochelle's bonus-point victory over the Sale Sharks, with a scoreline of 37-24. Hastoy contributed 20 points, including a perfect kicking record of 6 out of 6. His exceptional performance helped La Rochelle qualify for the next phase of the competition. As the defending champions, led by coach Ronan O'Gara, they will now aim to achieve a major coup in South Africa against the Stormers, a feat no European team has accomplished in the Champions Cup. After the match, Hastoy expressed his ambition to continue delivering strong performances and to earn his place back in the French national team.

Key Numbers

5: This fourth matchday of the Champions Cup also marks the end of the group stage. The 16 teams qualified for the next round will face off in the round of 16 in early April. Five French teams, namely Toulouse, Bordeaux-Bègles, La Rochelle, Lyon, and Racing 92, have made it to this stage of the competition.

20: Toulouse completed a perfect group stage by securing their fourth bonus-point win, this time against Bath, with a score of 31-19. They finished with a perfect record of 20 points, the only team to achieve this feat.