Montpellier left in the danger zone

Montpellier have joined Bayonne in the Top 14’s relegation zone after a crushing 51-13 defeat in Castres on Saturday evening.

The defeat, coupled with Brive’s 19-13 win over Agen leaves Montpellier thirteenth, only two points ahead of bottom club Bayonne.

Castres were superb in the win, scoring six tries. Cente Steve Kefu got them on their way in the fifth minute, and he was joined on the scoring list by centre partner Phil Christophers.

Montpellier’s reply came from back-row Cedric Mathieu, but once Kefu had put Castres 20 points ahead early in the second half, there was no coming back for the visitors.

Fly-half Cameron McIntyre, full-back Jean-Baptiste Peyras-Loustalet and flanker Alexandru Manta piled on the misery in the final quarter for Castres.

Brive’s win came courtesy of fly-half Tim Donnelly, who kicked 14 points in the tight win. Hooker Jawad Djoudi scored their only try, while Manu Ahotaeiloa scored Agen’s on the stroke of half-time.

Bourgoin avenged their defeat to Albi earlier in the season with a comprehensive 36-11 win, netting all five points courtesy of wing Jean-Francois Coux’s try two minutes from the end.

Hooker Benoit Cabello, wing Mathieu Nicholas and full-back Florian Denos scored the others, while lock Mickael Ladhuie registered Albi’s only score.

Toulouse trailed Montauban for much of the match before clawing their way back to a 30-21 win in the Stade Ernest-Wallon. Trailing 3-14 courtesy of prop Bogdan Balan’s early try, wing Maxime Medard brought Toulouse back into the game shortly before half-time.

Gareth Thomas’s try took Toulouse into the lead in the second half, and flanker Thierry Dusautoir scored a late try to make the game safe. Braam Immelman’s late try for Montauban was purely cosmetic.

However, Toulouse remain outside the top four still, because of Perpignan’s 19-15 victory in the derby in Narbonne which keeps the Catalans fourth.

In a typically robust derby, the only try came from a collective effort by Perpignan’s pack, while Nicolas Laharrague ensured the win with fourteen points from his boot.

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