Bayonne's escape is certainly fortuitous - especially losing 22-8 at Montauban on Saturday - but Montauban now faces a very real battle for mere survival, with their demotion certain to prompt a max exodus of disillusioned players this summer.

They will feel, rightly, that they kept their end of the bargain by securing their last-day survival on the pitch, but anger is now emerging as the helplessness of the club's position becomes ever clearer.

Fly-half Cédric Rosalen appeared to epitomize the general air of discontent when he told L'Equipe: "They [the club's board] lied to us all season."

He went on: "The president would have been happy to blame us but we showed w deserved sportingly to remain in the Top 14."

Rosalen added: "We no longer believe anyone. There is a terrible feeling of helplessness. The club is not able to prepare for the future."

Montauban was not known as a high spending club but its financial predicament is being blamed on the combination of a loan taken out for ground improvements and paying salaries it could not afford.

Montauban's decision to file for bankruptcy effectively pre-empts any appeal they may have made following their previous notification of relegation by the DNACG due to the €1.7m shortfall in this season's budget.

League rules state that any team which files for bankruptcy is automatically relegated, thus there will now be no appeal.

President Patrick Vianco had previously attempted to put together several rescue deals, but none came to fruition as Montauban Mayor Brigitte Barèges refused to use public money and private financiers shied away.

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Two of those options both involved the club's current primary sponsor Matmut. The first, at the suggestion of Matmut president Daniel Havis, would have seen the city council buy out Montauban's existing debt to Matmut with regards to financing the renovation of the the club's Stade Sapiac stadium, with the company then injecting €1.7m into Montauban coffers to cover the budget shortfall.

Matmut would have additionally ploughed in an extras €1m to secure Montauban's immediate financial security, but the plan was rebuffed by Barèges.

The other possibility put forward by Havis and Jean-Michel Baylet - president of the general council - suggested the club could sell its Stade Sapiac site to Matmut for a token €1, and that the club would then be able to free its debt to Matmut via a loan, with the company injecting an immediate €2m into the club's coffers.