Toulouse slump to fifth defeat
Toulouse slumped to a fifth successive defeat Friday as Bayonne claimed a 35-19 win in a match which saw the indisciplined 19-time French champions play for an hour with 14 men.
Bayonne outscored Toulouse four tries to one to also claim a winning bonus point as the struggling Top 14 giants paid a heavy price for Corey Flynn's 20th-minute red card for stamping.
"We started well but it's very hard to play with 14 men from the 20th minute. We wanted to have a good game but fate intervened," said Toulouse coach Guy Noves.
"I won't comment on the red card decision. Everyone who saw the pictures will interpret them in their own way. I am still very proud of the players."
Toulouse got off to a flying start, racing into a 10-0 lead on the edge of the Bay of Biscay.
After monopolising possession right from the kick-off, full-back Alexis Palisson grabbed a third-minute try when Luke McAlister, in for the rested Toby Flood, played him into space with a sharp, delayed pass.
McAlister added the conversion before extending Toulouse's lead to 10-0 with a penalty.
But Toulouse's night quickly unravelled.
Lock Yoann Maestri was sin-binned after smashing his forearm into the face of opposing lock Dewald Senekal.
Blair Stewart knocked over the resulting penalty before All Blacks flier Joe Rokocoko shrugged off the attentions of four defenders to score in the corner after a swift crossfield move between Stewart and Marvin O'Connor.
Stewart missed the extras but Toulouse were again on the backfoot in the 20th minute when experienced Kiwi hooker Flynn was red-carded for stamping.
Within two minutes, Bayonne grabbed their second try with South African full-back Scott Spedding instigating a clinical passage of play which ended in a score for hooker Anthony Etrillard.
Stewart added the conversion for 15-10 before McAlister kept Toulouse hanging on with a penalty.
It was a brief respite, however, as the Basque side quickly added a third try when Spedding broke through three tackles with a muscular, mesmerising run before off-loading to flanker Charles Ollivon to score.
Stewart knocked over the conversion and then a penalty for a handsome 25-13 lead at the break.
Despite their one-man deficit, Toulouse showed huge character in the second period, limiting Bayonne to just a penalty try in the dying stages although it was enough for the home side to claim a vital bonus point.
Stewart added the conversion to an earlier penalty in the second period with McAlister succeeding with two penalties of his own.
Top 14 table (played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points):
Clermont 6 5 0 1 159 80 3 23
Toulon 6 4 0 2 194 105 3 19
Montpellier 6 4 0 2 144 96 2 18
Bordeaux 6 4 0 2 140 132 1 17
Racing-Metro 6 4 0 2 118 115 1 17
Stade Francais 6 4 0 2 119 151 1 17
Grenoble 6 3 0 3 161 140 4 16
Bayonne 7 3 0 4 161 154 3 15
Oyonnax 6 2 0 4 145 144 3 11
Toulouse 7 2 0 5 143 163 2 10
La Rochelle 6 2 0 4 150 197 2 10
Castres 6 2 0 4 111 168 2 10
Lyon 6 2 0 4 102 141 1 9
Brive 6 2 0 4 94 155 1 9
Source: AFP
