Top 14 - Round 5 Review
Montpellier edge out Toulouse
Scrum.com
September 1, 2010
Montpellier's Fulgence Ouedraogo  tackles Toulouse's Gregory Lamboley, Montpellier v Toulouse, Top 14, Stade Yves du Manoir, Montpellier, France, September 1, 2010
Montpellier's Fulgence Ouedraogo shackles Toulouse's Gregory Lamboley © Getty Images
Enlarge

The unpredictable nature of this season's Top 14 continued with the latest round of action on Wednesday night with leaders Toulouse tasting defeat and win-less Bourgoin notching their first success of the campaign.

Montpellier held off a late rally from Toulouse to notch a narrow 22-21 victory at the Stade Yves du Manoir.

Winger Martin Bustos Moyana carried the hosts to their third win of the season with the Argentinean weighing in with a try, a conversion and five penalties. A try from Fijian winger Vilimoni Delasau and three penalties from the boot of fly-half Nicolas Bezy saw the Heineken Cup holders go into the break 16-9 up but Bustos Moyana clawed his side back into the match and into the lead. Bezy crossed for a last minute try for the visitors but Montpellier were not to be denied victory.

In a high-scoring encounter at Stade Charlety in Paris, Stade Francais climbed to the top of the table courtesy of a 40-34 victory over Castres. Two tries apiece from No.8 Sergio Parisse and winger Ollie Phillips and another from hooker Dimitri Szarzewski put the home side in total control of the contest at the break. Castres clawed their way back into the contest in the second half with flanker Ibrahim Diarra and centre Yohan Audrin adding to an earlier try from No.8 Joe Tekori. A yellow card for replacement Juan Manuel Leguizamon helped crank the pressure up on Stade but they held off a spirited Castres for their third win of the campaign.

Bayonne continued their strong start to the season with a 19-18 victory over Brive at the Stade Jean Dauger. Tries from scrum-half Mathieu Belie and centre Jamie Noon gave the visitors a narrow 15-13 lead at the break with No.9 Julien Audy crossing for Bayonne. And two further penalties from the boot of Audy carried his side to victory in a half that also saw yellow cards for Bayonne's Pierre-Philippe Lafond and Brive's Vasil Kakovin.

Racing Metro kept pace with the leaders thanks to a 28-17 victory over defending champions Clermont Auvergne at the Stade Olympique Yves-du-Manoir in Colombes. The home side's hopes were dealt an early blow with a yellow card for fullback Benjamin Fall after just five minutes and the boot of Clermont's Gavin Williams duly punished them with two penalties. But back came Racing with prolific fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski landing three penalties and a drop goal in a first half blitz that also included a conversion following a try from winger Julien Saubade on the half hour mark. Clermont rallied after the break with a try from hooker Ti'I Paulo and two further penalties from replacement No.10 Brock James but Wisniewski kept the visitors at bay and rounded out his 23-point haul with a last-minute penalty - his sixth of the game.

Elsewhere, Toulon's rollercoaster of a season continued with a 15-13 victory over in-form La Rochelle at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. England fly-half Jonny Wilkinson steered Le Toulonnais home with two penalties and three drop goals but a late from winger Norman Ligairi saw La Rochelle escape with a bonus point.

Perpignan added a bit of gloss to their faltering start to the season with a 17-12 win against Biarritz at the Stade Aime Giral. A first half try from scrum-half Kevin Boulogne and another after the break from hooker Guilhem Guirado saw the Catalans overturn a half-time deficit with Dimitri Yachvili's four penalties for Biarritz only enough for a bonus point.

In the bottom of the table clash, Bourgoin fly-half Alberto Di Bernardo won a battle of the boot with Agen's Conrad Barnard to inspire a 22-15 victory - his side's first win of the season. Five penalties and conversion of No.8 Yann Labrit's try were enough to hold of an Agen fightback care of three second half penalties to add to two earlier scores.

© Scrum.com

Live Sports

Communication error please reload the page.