Huget double closes gap on Clermont
TOP 14 WRAP: France wing Yoann Huget scored twice as Toulouse beat Stade Francais 49-20 to close the gap to three points on Clermont at the summit of the Top 14 table on Sunday.
Veteran Huget transferred his impressive recent international form to his club as Stade Francais’ ill-discipline cost them dearly seeing four players being sent to the sin-bin.
France’s Julian Marchand and Maxime Mermoz, as well as Romain Ntamack and Francois Cros, also scored for the home side to claim a bonus point.
The Parisians’ tries came from forwards Sekou Macalou and Hanro Liebenberg.
Stade Francais – backed by German billionaire Hans-Peter Wild – have only one win in five games ahead of a crucial Challenge Cup doubleheader against the Ospreys during the next fortnight
Toulouse faces Wasps twice in the Champions Cup and a couple of victories could secure a quarter-final berth in the elite European competition.
Stade Francais received the first of their yellow cards as Paul Gabrillagues was sin-binned for a tackling an opponent without the ball and Macalou, Stephane Clement and Jonathan Danty also spent time on the touchline for foul play.
Two former Toulouse players were making their first appearances at Stade Ernest Wallon after Yoann Maestri and Gael Fickou joined the capital city club in the off-season.
Maestri was at fault for one of three first-half Thomas Ramos penalty goals and was captaining his new side.
Earlier in the day, Perpignan lost 22-11 to Bordeaux-Begles in a record 11th straight league defeat in one season for a Top 14 club.
The Catalans take over from Mont de Marsan who failed to win on 10 occasions in the top-flight in 2012-13.
The newly promoted southerners who failed to make significant recruitment after joining the Top 14, were determined to make a fight of it.
“We can’t throw in the towel in December. It’s infuriating to enjoy so much possession but then throw away tries on a quick counter,” explained Perpignan full-back Julien Farnoux.
“We didn’t fight to get into the Top 14 for four years to give up after 11 matches either,” he added despite his side’s meagre four-point total.
Bordeaux-Begles move up to sixth in the table with their second victory in a row and remain unbeaten under the interim coach, former England back row forward Joe Worsley.
Wing Romain Buros scored twice and France scrum-half Baptiste Serin dotted down for the visitors at Stade Aime Giral.
Captain Karl Chateau crossed before Enzo Selponi kicked two penalty goals in a dismal display by Perpignan, whose coach Christian Lanta and his assistants were awarded contract extensions last week.
Prop Jefferson Poirot said Bordeaux needed to focus on getting a run together.
“We haven’t won away for a while, we kept it simple and took our opportunities well thanks to our defensive wall, that worked really well,” he said.
“But we need to keep it going because we are often in the top six but rarely when it counts.”
On Saturday Clermont claimed a hard-fought 28-23 win at Montpellier on Saturday thanks to a flawless display from scrum-half Morgan Parra.
Elsewhere, champions Castres were stunned 16-13 at home by lowly Agen, Lyon thumped Pau 30-10, La Rochelle won their fifth straight game as they edged Racing 92 16-11 in incessant rain and Toulon rose to 10th place beating fellow strugglers Grenoble 22-3.
Agence France-Presse
