RugbyU: Clerc brace helps Toulouse to vital Top 14 win
Every match has become a must-win in the highly competitive French league.
PARIS (AFP) - An opportunistic brace of tries from veteran France winger Vincent Clerc helped Toulouse to a 18-13 victory over Montpellier in the Top 14 on Saturday.
With just six matches remaining to cement a place in the top six teams who advance to play-offs, every match has become a must-win in the highly competitive French league with but a few points separating five teams in mid-table.
The victory temporarily moved Toulouse up into fifth spot on 49 points, while Montpellier came away with a bonus defensive point.
It was the fourth time this season these two teams had met, having been drawn together in the same European Champions Cup pool, and Toulouse s win drew it level at 2-2.
Montpellier, with Francois Trinh-Duc making his return as a replacement after a five-month injury lay-off, took an early lead through Benoit Paillaugue and Ben Lucas penalties, Luke McAlister hitting back with two of his own just before half-time.
But it was Toulouse replacement Vincent Clerc who proved the difference.
First Montpellier winger Rene Ranger, who will return to the Auckland Blues in a bid to get back into the All Blacks squad, made a hash of clearing a kick, the ball bobbling away over the line and out of the Kiwi s reach but into Clerc s.
Ranger s nightmare continued just minutes later when he fumbled a McAlister up-and-under behind the tryline, Clerc again on hand to pounce on the loose ball, McAlister kicking the extras.
Ranger went some way to regaining his game-breaking kudos with a fine break and one-handed offload to Fijian full-back Timoci Nagusa for the try, converted by Lucas to make for a nerve-racking final 10 minutes.
Grenoble moved into the sixth spot with an emphatic 30-21 win away at third-placed Stade Francais as just nine points separated eight clubs from Toulouse in fifth to La Rochelle in 12th.
Oyonnax s hopes were hit with a 35-20 defeat by La Rochelle while Brive moved out of the relegation zone with a stunning 36-12 victory over fourth-placed Racing-Metro.
Bottom-placed Castres suffered a 21-19 defeat by Bayonne thanks to an injury-time 45-metre penalty by Argentine Martin Bustos Moyano.
Clermont moved to the provisional head of the Top 14 on Friday with a 31-23 victory over Bordeaux-Begles.
Toulon can overtake them later Saturday if they win away at Lyon.
