Clermont move up a gear
They ran in five tries, including a superb one by All Black star Hosea Gear, to record a 41-24 win away at Oyonnax.
Indeed the visitors claimed their third bonus win in as many games when Alivereti Raka went over in the final move of the match in the 84th minute.
Clermont top the table by three points from Toulouse.
Toulouse also made it three wins from three games – although none have been with a bonus point – as they eased to a 37-20 win over Castres, England flyhalf Toby Flood scoring 20 of the victors points including a try.
However, Racing-Metro – who were the only other unbeaten side going into the weekend – slipped-up badly losing 18-30-18 to new boys Agen, for whom this was their first win of the season.
Clermont tore the Oyonnax defence to shreds in the first half, running in three tries, the first saw Gear round off a superb passing move.
Fijian centre Albert Vulivili, signed to fill in while the World Cup is on, added a second eight minutes from the break taking the ball from Camille Lopez on the 22 and breaking through the soft-centred defence, brushing aside Irish opposite number Eamon Sheridan.
A minute later and former England wing David Strettle came off his flank unobserved and fed a pass by the impressive Lopez broke through to touch down.
Lopez, who many believe should have been in the France World Cup squad, converted all three and kicked a penalty to boot with the hosts sole contributor four penalties by veteran Welsh flyhalf Nicky Robinson to send the sides in with Clermont 24-12 up.
Lopez added a penalty shortly after the restart to make it 27-12.
Oyonnax suffered a further blow when 33-year-old Robinson limped off with the second-half barely 10 minutes old and just afterwards they were reduced to 14 as former Toulon flanker Pierrick Gunther was sin-binned for pulling an opponent's hair.
Clermont added another try in his absence, Adrien Plante going over in the far corner after Nick Abendandon's crunching tackle on Ivory Coast winger Silvere Tian had given the visitors back possession – Lopez added the extras for 34-12.
Oyonnax did at least cross the tryline – Clermont were down to 14 men with No.8 Fritz Lee sin-binned – replacement hooker Jeremie Maurouard touching down in the far corner in the 70th minute.
The 22-year-old doubled his tally four minutes later burrowing over under the posts – Regis Lespinas converting for 34-24.
Toulouse also looked to be cruising to victory over Castres thanks to an early try for Corey Flynn and regular penalties by Flood.
However, a try 10 minutes from half-time by Romain Martial – set up by outstanding captain Alex Tulou – made it into a competitive game.
But Flood ensured Toulouse made it three wins from three in the post Guy Noves era with a try 14 minutes from full-time and a conversion by scrumhalf Sebastien Bezy made it 30-13.
Brice Mach reduced the deficit with a nice try in the left hand corner but Bezy replied with another Toulouse try as the game drew to an end with their fourth touchdown.
Both sides suffered worrying injuries to both their first choice fly-halves.
Castres Argentinian playmaker Benjamin Urdapilleta suffering a leg injury, and Toulouse's All Black Luke McAlister went off in the first-half and had an ankle strapped with ice.
Last season's second tier champions Pau look set for a long hard season – at least till their star All Black signings Conrad Smith and Colin Slade arrive after the World Cup – as they were thrashed 41-15 away at Grenoble, for whom former Racing-Metro fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski scored 21 points including one of their five tries.
Top 14 results:
Oyonnax 24 Clermont 41
La Rochelle 21 Brive 18
Grenoble 41 Pau 15
Agen 30 Racing Metro 18
Toulouse 37 Castres 20
Top 14 table (played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points):
Clermont 3 3 0 0 110 36 3 15
Toulouse 3 3 0 0 81 36 0 12
Grenoble 3 2 0 1 85 63 2 10
Racing-Metro 3 2 0 1 65 71 0 8
Castres 3 1 0 2 60 65 2 6
Montpellier 2 1 0 1 51 45 1 5
Brive 3 1 0 2 47 58 1 5
Oyonnax 3 1 0 2 80 95 1 5
La Rochelle 3 1 0 2 46 82 1 5
Stade Francais 2 1 0 1 47 40 0 4
Agen 3 1 0 2 62 76 0 4
Bordeaux 2 1 0 1 38 53 0 4
Pau 3 1 0 2 59 91 0 4
Toulon 2 0 0 2 31 51 1 1
Agence France-Presse
