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Top 14 Round 4 Review

Image: Fourteen points for Toulouse: Luke McAlister

Toulouse crushed Biarritz 24-0 on Friday to move top of the Top 14 standings.

Toulouse blank Biarritz; Toulon give Saint-Andre winning send-off

Toulouse crushed Biarritz 24-0 on Friday to move top of the Top 14 standings. Toulon were unable to score a try in Philippe Saint-Andre's last game at the helm but were easy winners away to Bordeaux-Begles. Castres meanwhile ran four tries past Agen to move level with Toulouse and ahead of Clermont and Racing Metro, who meet on Saturday. Stade Francais scored three first-half tries to beat beat Bayonne in the capital. Elsewhere, Lyon grabbed their first win of the season in Brive leaving Biarritz at the foot of the table. Montpellier are still winless after going down narrowly in Perpignan in a war of attrition.

Bordeaux-Begles 16-27 RC Toulon

Nine penalties were enough to give Toulon their first win away from home this season and Philippe Saint-Andre's last as director of RCT before he becomes the French national coach. Bordeaux scored their first try of the season - the only try of the game - but their indiscipline cost them dearly as Julien Dumora kicked six penalties and Benjamin Lapeyre added two more for the visitors. The Toulon pack dominated and made sure their side held a 9-3 lead at the break. Fabien Rofes's late try for the hosts was scant consolation for the Top 14 newcomers.

CA Brive Correze 12-15 Lyon Olympique

Brive slump to their second loss at home in as many games as LOU claim their first win of the season. Former Brive fly-half Regis Lespinas was the hero for Lyon as he scored all the visitors' points, including two first-half tries, at his old stomping ground. LOU led 12-9 at the break with Mathieu Belie landing his fourth penalty to level matters early in the second half. Lespinas, however, kicked the winner with twelve minutes left on the clock.

Castres Olympique 30-11 SU Agen

Castres confirmed their status as one of the form teams of the early season by moving to the top of the standings and handing Agen their first defeat of the season in the process. Castres scored three tries through centre Romain Cabannes, number eight Chris Masoe and winger Marc Andreu to lead 22-3 at half-time. With 10 minutes left, Agen winger Benjamin Petre touched down for the visitors only for Castres winger Pierre-Gilles Lakafia to coast in to ensure the bonus point.

Stade Toulousain 24-0 Biarritz Olympique

With leaders Clermont taking on second-placed Racing-Metro on Saturday, Toulouse moved provisionally top while Biarritz are rooted to the bottom of the table. Former All Black fly-half Luke McAlister played a key role for Toulouse, scoring one of his side's three tries and adding three conversions and a penalty. It was 3-0 at half time before Toulouse turned on the gas with skipper Yannick Nyanga and Fijian wing Timoci Matanavou scoring before McAlister's try secured the bonus point.

Stade Francais Paris 33-18 Aviron Bayonnais

All of Stade Francais's tries came in a blistering first-half display with Aussie winger Francis Fainifo crossing in the second minute, number eight Pierre Rabadan adding the second on 12 minutes before Australian fly-half Paul Warwick scored the third in the 23rd minute. Bayonne scored two tries of their own through scrum-half Marvin O'Connor and wing Garth Ziegler but were generally ouplyaed to trail 24-12 at the break. The second half was a rather poor affair, leaving Bayonne empty handed after 80 minutes.

USA Perpignan 19-12 Montpellier HR

Perpignan get their third win in four games while Montpellier as joint-last in the standings, without a single victory. It wasn't pretty as the Catalan crowd witnessed a true battle. Perpignan took the points, but failed to convince, once again. USAP led 9-3 at the break before wing Andrien Plante score the only try on the hour mark.

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