Top 14
Toulon and Clermont suffer shock defeats
ESPN Staff
April 25, 2015
La Rochelle's Kini Murimurivalu and Jason Eaton celebrate the fullback's try © Getty Images
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Mali Hingani's late try clinched a shock 32-29 victory for La Rochelle over defending Top 14 champions Toulon.

The 23-year-old added to tries by Alofa Alofa, Sireli Bobo and Kini Murimurivalu as the hosts clinched a dramatic win that also eased their relegation fears.

Toulon fielded a much-changed XV, with only fly-half Frederic Michalak keeping his spot in the starting line-up. Tries from Josua Tuisova and Mamuka Gorgodze were not enough for Bernard Laporte's men, who still sit top of the table by four points.

Title rivals Clermont Auvergne also suffered a surprise defeat away to strugglers Castres. The hosts touched down for five tries to seal an emphatic 31-10 victory, with wing Remy Grosso claiming a hat-trick.

On a bad afternoon for heavyweight clubs chasing play-off spots, Racing Metro were the third big beast to taste defeat, going down 21-16 to Oyonnax.

Elsewhere, there were wins for Bordeaux Begles, Brive, and Bayonne against Lyon, Montpellier and Grenoble respectively.

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