Siya Kolisi, the two-time Rugby World Cup-winning captain from South Africa, witnessed his new team, Racing 92, secure a victory over local rivals Stade Francais, propelling them to the top of the French Top 14 league.
Kolisi, who recently lifted his second Webb Ellis Cup, made his debut appearance in the stands as Racing 92 triumphed over Stade Francais with a score of 13-9 on Saturday. The 32-year-old Springbok captain joined Racing 92 after his World Cup victory and is set to make his on-field debut for the Parisian club in their upcoming match against La Rochelle next Sunday.
Notably, Siya Kolisi was accompanied by Chelsea’s captain, Reece James, who took advantage of the international break to attend the game. Both Kolisi and James are represented by the same agency, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation.
Racing’s victory occurred under rainy conditions and positioned them at the top of the league table, surpassing Stade Francais, based on their head-to-head record.
Racing coach Stuart Lancaster commented on the intensity of the match, saying, “I’ve been involved in many big derbies internationally with England-Wales, England-France, or at the club level with Leinster-Munster, and it’s right up there in terms of the feeling in the changing room. It wasn’t a flawless performance, but I felt all the key players stepped up and played well, and in the end, we deserved the win.”
Racing 92 took the lead with a score of 10-6 at halftime, thanks to a try from center Henry Chavancy and four points from the boot of South African flyhalf Tristan Tedder. Stade Francais flyhalf Joris Segonds closed the gap to just one point shortly after halftime with his third penalty of the match.
Racing, who were champions in 2016, managed to hold on to secure their victory, marking their eighth consecutive win at Stade Jean-Bouin, the home ground of their rivals. Promising French scrumhalf Nolann Le Garrec added to their tally with a successful penalty kick in the 54th minute.
