Toulouse, Bordeaux in Top 14 stalemate
The result kept Bordeaux in fourth spot, just two points behind leaders Racing 92, while Toulouse are fifth on 48 points, a full 10 ahead of Castres in seventh spot and seemingly well set for the play-offs.
After Jean-Marc Doussain and Pierre Bernard had exchanged early penalties, it was left to Toulouse's All Black Luke McAlister to conjure up the first try after half an hour at the Ernst Wallon Stadium. McAlister, playing at fullback, had time to neatly place a crossfield kick into the hands of Samoan wing Paul Perez who sprinted half the length of the field down the right for the score.
Doussain succeeded with the extras for a 10-3 lead, although Bernard had time to pop over a second penalty, courtesy of the upright, for a 10-6 lead at the break.
Bordeaux, who came into the game on the back of a four-match winning streak, snatched the lead early in the second period through replacement back Metuisela Talebula. The Fijian had only been on the pitch for five minutes when he was set clear by a smart kick off the back of a scrum by Baptiste Serin who cleverly switched the direction of play.
Talebula ignored wing Adam Ashley-Cooper, in support, bouncing off two tackles to score. Bernard added the conversion for 13-10 as Bordeaux were suddenly dreaming of a first win at Toulouse in five years.
Bordeaux' Wallaby wing Ashley-Cooper had grabbed a hat-trick in last week's rout of Oyonnax but he came back to earth on Friday when he was yellow-carded for tackling Toby Flood without the ball.
Doussain missed the resulting simple penalty in front of the posts, his second failure of the night, before he was relieved of kicking duties and substituted. McAlister was handed the job and he soon pulled Toulouse level at 13-13.
Despite late pressure from Toulouse, the visitors held on for a share of the spoils.
On Saturday, Toulon will look to bounce back from last week's surprise 14-19 defeat at La Rochelle when they entertain Grenoble on Saturday.
The European champions are one of the hardest hit sides by the international absentees during the Six Nations, made worse by the fact that flying Springbok wing Bryan Habana is also away on Sevens duty, as is Australian flyhalf Quade Cooper.
Leaders Racing face misfiring champions Stade Francais in the Paris derby. Stade slumped to one place above the relegation zone after last week's dismal 12-19 defeat at Pau, a week after crumbling 18-338 at home to Grenoble.
Resurgent Clermont, on a three-match win streak that has seen them plunder 117 points, host free-falling Brive.
French Top 14 table:
(played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points)
Racing 92 16 12 1 3 356 286 4 54
Clermont 16 10 1 5 457 279 11 53
Toulon 17 10 0 7 518 319 12 52
Bordeaux 18 11 2 5 390 320 4 52
Toulouse 17 9 2 6 434 269 8 48
Montpellier 16 10 0 6 401 385 5 45
Castres 16 8 0 8 343 332 6 38
Brive 16 8 1 7 305 308 4 38
La Rochelle 16 7 0 9 338 354 7 35
Grenoble 16 7 0 9 403 445 5 33
Pau 16 6 1 9 248 413 2 28
Stade Francais 16 6 0 10 307 354 2 26
Agen 16 3 0 13 322 480 3 15
Oyonnax 16 3 0 13 269 547 2 14
Agence France-Presse
