Top 14: Stade Francais storm to 43-30 victory over Grenoble
Last Updated: 20/12/14 12:45am
Stade Francais took over the leadership of the French Top 14 on Friday with a five-try 43-30 victory at Grenoble, who surrendered their unbeaten home record.
Fiji winger Waisea Nayacalevu grabbed two of Stade's tries to take his season total to seven with Julien Arias, Jonathan Danty and flanker Antoine Burban marking his return after three months out with injury with the other tries.
Grenoble stayed in touch thanks in part to the boot of Jonathan Wisniewski, as well as scoring three second-half tries of their own, through Florian Faure, Alipate Ratini and a late penalty try, but overall they were well beaten.
Jules Plisson gave the visitors’ the lead after just three minutes with a 40-metre penalty before then setting up Stade’s first try by feeding Jonathan Danty who sent Arias clear to go over on the left.
Plisson's conversion from the touchline was just off-target ahead of Grenoble getting off the mark with a penalty from Wisniewski.
The fly-half and Plisson exchanged penalties before the Paris giants extended their lead with a try through Burban.
Wisniewski, however, made sure the Parisians did not have all things their own way, adding a third penalty of the evening on the half-hour to half the deficit to 18-9.
After the visitors’ lead was extended to 12 points at half-time, Plisson converted a third try from Nayacalevu before Grenoble fought back with a try of their own from Faure, converted successfully by Wisniewski.
The hosts conceded a bad penalty though and Nayacalevu ran in his second, before Grenoble quickly hit back through their own Fijian, Ratini, who was given too much space on the right.
Danty added a fifth try for visitors, before Wisniewski kicked a last penalty from Grenoble from the final play after a monstrous rolling maul.
