Toulon troubles continue with Castres defeat

Castres heaped more misery on European champions Toulon with a bonus-point 24-9 victory in the French Top 14 on Sunday.

The 2013 champions scored three tries to none as Bernard Laporte's Toulon continued their winless start to the fledgling season following last weekend's 27-22 defeat at home to Racing-Metro.

New Zealand centre Rudi Wulf scored a first-half try against his former employers before a quickfire brace from Kiwi No.8 Alex Tulou and scrum-half Julien Seron early in the second period effectively settled the affair.

Shorn of a host of galactic stars engaged with their countries ahead of the World Cup, Toulon were still able to field a team full of international players such as England pair Matt Stevens and Steffon Armitage, as well as South African flanker Juan Smith and France centre Maxime Mermoz.

But despite leading 6-3 early on following a pair of Jonathan Pelissie penalties, Toulon had to watch former All Black Wulf, who only left the three-in-a-row European champions at the end of last season, score the game's first try six minutes before the break.

Castres led 10-6 at half time but Pelissie's third penalty made it a one-point game early in the second period.

Yet Tulou and then Seron both crossed the whitewash within 15 minutes of the restart, with fly-half Benjamin Urdapilleta converting both, as Castres, who beat Toulon to win the 2013 Top 14 title, streaked away.
The bonus point helped Castres up to fourth in the table after just two games while Toulon remain third from bottom.

Three teams have won both their opening matches with Clermont top courtesy of picking up bonus points in both their victories, including Friday night's 25-6 defeat of Grenoble.

Toulouse and Racing-Metro, winners respectively by 20-9 at Agen and 20-19 at home to La Rochelle on Saturday, have also won two from two.

Castres head coach Jacques Delmas's former club Oyonnax were the most impressive winners of the weekend as they notched four tries and a bonus point in defeating Bordeaux-Begles 37-19.

But second division champions Pau's 26-16 win over Montpellier was soured after the visitors' Fijian wing Timoci Nagusa claimed he was called a "monkey" by a home supporter.

Champions Stade Francais were dismal in their 22-13 defeat at 1997 European champions Brive on Saturday.
Source: AFP