Toulouse bounced back from their shock European Rugby Champions Cup exit with a 31-8 rout of Toulon on Sunday, which took them to the summit of the French Top 14 heading into next year.
The four-try, bonus point victory over the defending European champions allowed Toulouse to end the year with a three-point lead over Clermont and Racing 92.
It was a night to forget for Toulon’s Rugby World Cup winner Ma’a Nonu, whose intercepted pass allowed Gael Fickou to score the first try after just 13 minutes.
Photo: AFP
Maxime Medard added a second try after a dazzling run from Florian Fritz before Yacouba Camara and Dorian Aldegheri piled on the misery for Toulon, whose only try came from James O’Connor on the hour mark.
Toulon’s problems were compounded when South Africa No. 8 Duane Vermeulen, who underwent neck surgery in July, was stretchered off with a head injury suffered as he tried to prevent Medard’s 44th-minute try.
“It was a great night. We showed pride and humility,” said Toulouse coach Ugo Mola, who refused to get carried away by the win. “Leading the table? What is important is to be in the top six [playoff spots] when it matters.”
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Earlier, Racing 92 handed previous leaders Clermont a 20-16 defeat.
Racing had not won at Clermont since 1994, but second-half tries from Johan Goosen and Henry Chavancy, plus 10 points from the boot of Maxime Machenaud, handed the visitors victory at the Stade Marcel-Michelin. Clermont led 9-6 at halftime courtesy of three Morgan Parra penalties, but Racing responded with 14 unanswered points before Fritz Lee’s 64th-minute try gave Clermont hope, only for Racing to resist a late onslaught from the home side.
“It is hugely satisfying. Very few teams win here,” said Racing coach Laurent Labit, who kept star flyhalf Dan Carter on the bench until the last 15 minutes of the game. “We made 12 changes, the replacements did well. Our squad is rich in both quality and quantity. I have been here three years now and, this season, I feel there is a different mindset.”
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Defending champions Stade Francais crashed to a seventh defeat of a testing season as they were beaten 25-12 by bottom side Oyonnax.
Oyonnax were coming off three successive lopsided losses, but climbed off the foot of the table as the boot of Regis Lespinas accounted for 17 points, with Jimmy Yobo scoring the game’s only try.
Stade Francais face an increasingly difficult challenge to defend their crown having won just four of 11 matches this term, a series of results that has left the capital club just one place above the relegation spots.
“We knew that, given Oyonnax are playing for their survival, they would be really up for it. We committed lots of knock-ons and could not finish off our moves,” Stade Francais coach Gonzalo Quesada said.
Stade Francais flyhalf Morne Steyn and his Oyonnax counterpart, Lespinas, knocked over three penalties apiece as the sides went into the interval level at 9-9 on the artificial surface at the Stade Charles-Mathon.
Steyn booted another penalty to give Stade Francais a 12-9 lead early in the second half, but it was all Oyonnax from that point onward.
The hosts benefited from a huge stroke of good fortune shortly after when Lespinas struck the upright with a penalty, only for the ball to bounce back to Yobo, who touched down to put Oyonnax ahead, with Lespinas adding the conversion.
Lespinas added two further penalties to give the home side breathing space before Quentin Etienne slotted over from close to 50m out as Stade’s cause was hampered by the sin-binning of fullback Camara.
Castres registered a fourth straight win as they beat Brive 23-8, with Rory Kickott kicking 13 points on top of tries from Julien Dumora and Julien Caminati.
Montpellier secured a bonus-point victory by running in six tries to ease past Agen 45-20, while Bordeaux saw off Grenoble 25-19.
Pau, who had former All Blacks Colin Slade and Conrad Smith playing together for the first time, scraped out a 15-11 win at home to La Rochelle.
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