All square in Paris: Review

Back in Paris: Toulon's Julien Bastareaud

Matt Giteau landed a touchline conversion after the full-time hooter as Toulon snatched a 19-all draw with Stade Français at the Stade de France on Saturday.

Bayonne clinched two invaluable points in their quest to avoid relegation from the Top 14 by also holding high-flying Clermont to a draw.

It was a good day for travelling teams as Montpellier won on the road to Bordeaux-Bègles, Racing revived their ailing fortunes in Lyon and Castres got out of jail in Brive.

Toulouse were easy winners at home to Agen meaning they extend their lead at the top of the standings to eight points over Clermont.

Aviron Bayonnais 22-22 ASM Clermont Auvergne
Stade Jean Dauger, Bayonne

This is a huge result for Bayonne as it allows them to move four points clear of Basque rivals Biarritz and the relegation zone. Clermont meanwhile extend their unbeaten run to seven games.

Clermont looked to have had the game wrapped up when Anthony Floch landed a late drop goal, but Bayonne replacement back Sam Gerber touched down in the 78th minute before Benjamin Boyet slotted the touch-line conversion to send the local fans wild.

Clermont's immovable defensive wall and an early try from David Skrela had given the visitors a 16-9 lead at half time and they will harbour a number of regrets after controlling the game but seeing Morgan Parra suffer a rare off-day with the boot.

Union Bordeaux-Bègles 26-30 Montpellier HR
Stade André Moga, Bègles

Montpellier grabbed victory in the dying moments with push-over try in the 76th minute of an exciting match.

A losing bonus point is enough to see UBB climb a spot to eighth in the standings though they will be bitterly disappointed not to have claimed the scalp of last year's finalists after Blair Connor bagged a brace.

Montpellier recovered from a slow start to hold a slender 13-10 lead at the break in a ding-dong battle.

The result leaves Montpellier in fifth place in the standings and looking good for a play-off spot.

CA Brive Corrèze 13-15 Castres Olympique
Stade Amédée Domenech, Brive

Brive are becoming experts at being their own worst enemy while Castres continue their trend for squeezing results out of any situation.

Outscored two tries to none and on the receiving end of three yellow cards, les Castrais still managed to claim victory as they punished the hosts' numerous errors.

The result sees Brive gain an incredible eleventh bonus point this season. An illustration of their knack for losing close games is their points difference, which is just -5, but they sit in eleventh place!

Brive led at 8-3 at half-time but fell victim to the metronomic boots of the CO goal kickers, who had the visitors up 15-8 by the 65th minute.

A 79th minute try from replacement Olivier Caisso proved too little too late for Brive.

Lyon Olympique 22-33 Racing-Métro 92
Stade Matmut, Lyon

Racing-Métro claim their first win of 2012 but came very close to throwing this one away after leading 21-3 at half-time only to see their lead cut to just four points going into the last ten minutes at 26-22!

Despite their heroic comeback, another defeat for Lyon means they are now clear favourites to get relegated.

Racing got off to a bright start running in two tries in the opening quarter.

Veteran Fijian back Bobo grabbed the first, benefiting from a favourable rebound to get the better of former Wasps star Mark van Gisbergen to touch down and Argentinian maestro Juan Martin Hernandez converted to give them a 10-0 lead as he had opened the scoring with a penalty.

Racing's South African loose forward Jacques Cronje ran in a second try 10 minutes later and Hernandez - who had slotted over another penalty in between - failed to convert to leave it 18-0 to the visitors.The hosts finally got on the scoreboard in the 22nd minute as Regis Lespinas converted a penalty from in front of the posts, though, Hernandez added a penalty of his own as the half drew to a close to make it 21-3 at the break.

The second period didn't start too well for Lyon as they were reduced to 14 men when Sisaro Koyamaibole was yellow-carded in the 44th minute for deliberate offside in breaking up a promising Racing break.

However, Hernandez made a mess of the penalty and the sides were evened up four minutes later as veteran Racing lock Lionel Nallet was also sin-binned for a late tackle.

Lyon took advantage of that immediately as they scored a try through a brilliant piece of individual play by Enrico Januarie, who squirmed through three opposing players to touch down but the subsequent conversion went astray.

Hernandez and France centre Fabrice Estebanez then combined brilliantly for the Argentinian to collect his own kick ahead and touch down for the visitors third try but he spoiled the moment when he slipped over in the process of taking the conversion to leave the score 26-8 to Racing.

The visitors then did their best to throw away the victory as they were reduced to 13 men by the 66th minute as first Argentinian back row forward Alvaro Galindo and then his compatriot Juan Pablo Orlandi were yellow-carded.

Lyon again profited from this by scoring two tries through Vinaya Wakanivuga and Franck Romanet with the latter's try a superb effort - both were converted by Lespinas to put them just four points in arrears with seven minutes remaining.

However, it was the visitors who were to have the last laugh as Bobo touched down from an intercept in his own 22 in the final move of the game - Hernandez converted to give them a much-needed victory as much for their morale as for their chase of a play-off position.

Stade Toulousain 21-10 SU Agen
Stade Ernest Wallon, Toulouse

No surprises then as the defending champions continue their unbeaten run at home (which stretches back to February 2010) and extend their lead at the top of the standings.

Agen came out firing early on and scored the game's opening try, but Junior Pelesasa's 12th-minute score would be the last time they troubled the scorers.

Luke McAlister created the first of Yves Donguy's two tries just before the break to give Toulouse a 13-10 lead at half time.

McAlister and Donguy were again at the origin of the hosts' second touch-down as Guy Novès's team extended the unbeaten run this season to eleven games.

The result is Agen's fifth defeat in six matches.

Stade Français Paris 19-19 RC Toulon
Stade de France, St. Denis (Paris)

Matt Giteau converted Steffon Armitage's 80th-minute try after the full-time hooter as Toulon snatched an exciting draw in the capital.

Bad news for Toulon however is a serious-looking knee injury to fly-half Jonny Wilkinson.

The result leaves Toulon lying third in the standings, a massive 17 points behind Toulouse while Stade Français hang on to sixth place, a single point clear of Parisian rivals Racing.

Wilkinson left the field after 23 minutes after kicking the visitors into a 6-0 lead. Two penalties from scrum-half Julien Dupuy drew the hosts level but Giteau landed a three pointer on the stroke of half-time to put Toulon 9-6 up at the break.

France lock Pascal Papé put the Parisians in pole position when he charged over at the end of an overlap soon after the restart.

Dupuy and Benjamin Lapeyre exchanged place kicks before Armitage dived into the corner after long build-up from Toulon to put everyone at the Stade de France on the edge of their seats.

Giteau had to wait for a mass dust-up to calm down and the rubber stamp from the TMO before keeping his nerve to split the uprights from out wide.