Toulouse enjoy home comforts again, Bordeaux ease past Agen
Top 14 champions Toulouse maintained their 100 per cent home record this season with a dominant 34-8 defeat of Clermont Auvergne.
Toulouse have worryingly lost each of their first five away games this term, but they have been untouchable at home and that trend continued on Saturday.
In the day’s late kick-off, a repeat of last season’s final, the hosts stormed into a 24-0 half-time lead thanks to tries from Sofiane Guitoune, Maxime Medard and Romain Ntamack.
Clermont failed to cross in the 2018-19 decider and their breakthrough score counted for little here, with Alivereti Raka’s 46th-minute try unable to inspire a fightback.
Gillian Galan then secured a bonus point at the other end 10 minutes from time.
#STASM pic.twitter.com/pcTZpemhwC
— Stade Toulousain (@StadeToulousain) November 9, 2019
Earlier in the day, Bordeaux-Begles moved level on points with Lyon, who play on Sunday, at the top of the table after seeing off Agen at home.
The visitors were held scoreless as Bordeaux stayed patient, building on a 6-0 advantage at the break with tries from Santiago Cordero and Yann Lesgourgues.
Montpellier played out a draw for the second time this season as Anthony Belleau’s penalty four minutes from time earned a share of the spoils for Toulon at 19-19.
There was late drama at Castres, too, where Brive were agonisingly denied by an 81st-minute kick from Julien Dumora.
Francois Da Ros’ try two minutes earlier looked to have earned Brive an away win, but Dumora kept his nerve in a 28-26 success.
Meanhile, Pau scraped past Bayonne 9-3 in a game of no tries.
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