Toulouse suffered just their second defeat of the season as they went down 30-23 at Bourgoin.

The game was level at 13-13 at half-time but Benjamin Boyet and Morgan Parra, the 19-year-old scrum-half, scored tries in the space of seven second-half minutes.

Maxime Médard's second try of the afternoon was not enough for the visitors who are now seven points clear of Clermont.

Clermont went second with a 27-3 victory over Aviron Bayonnais as Aurélien Rougerie scored two first-half tries.

Stade Francais lost ground as they went down 9-6 at the Stade Aguilera to Biarritz. Marcelo Bosch's 63rd minute drop goal proved decisive in a try less match.

The six teams between fifth and tenth are seperated by just two points with Castres threatening the European places after an impressive 33-6 win at Albi as Sébastien Tillous-Borde bagged a second-half brace.

Perpignan failed to build on their victory over Auch last weekend as they were held 10-10 by second-from-bottom Dax. Matthieu Lièvremont cancelled out Henry Tuilagi's first-half score.

At the bottom of the table, Auch are now seven points adrift after going down 30-20 to Brive at the Stade Moulias, the hosts flattered by scoring 17 unanswered points in the final quarter.

Montauban opened up the weekend's action with a 14-6 win over Montpellier with Denis Cech getting the only try of the game.

Lee Walker / Eurosport