Toulon are the new leaders of Top 14 after they maintained their unbeaten 'home' record with a 33-23 win against defending champions Perpignan at the Stade Vélodrome.

A sell-out 60,000-strong crowd cheered on Philippe Saint-Andre's team as they registered a ninth successive victory (eight in the league) to claim top spot, with Jonny Wilkinson kicking 23 points in addition to a first-half try-double from Australian full-back Luke Rooney.

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Wilkinson landed five penalties, two drop-goals (including a late effort from 50m) and a conversion as Toulon registered a crucial home win against the Catalans - and morning leaders.

Pierre Berbizier's Racing-Métro 92 were also in celebratory mood after they rallied from 6-19 down to beat Biarritz 29-22 and secure the sixth and final play-off berth.

Two Damien Traille drop-goals and a Dimitri Yachvili penalty put the Basques 0-9 ahead after 24 minutes, and the prospects looked gloomy for the home side when Iain Balshaw then crossed for the game's opening try. But Racing finally got on the scoreboard when Jonathan Wisniewski landed an injury time penalty for the hosts, and the fly-half cut the deficit further with a second success shortly after the restart.

But just when it seemed the Parisians were tracking back they were further stunned when former rugby league international Karmichael Hunt raced in for Biarritz's second try (on 49 minutes) after a superb counter-attack initiated by the impressive Traille.

Yachvili missed the ensuing conversion but Biarritz were still looking good at that stage for the victory that would put them in pole position to sneak into the play-offs.

Berbizier then sent on veteran All Blacks fly-half Andrew Mehrtens in place of Wisniewski and the 36-year-old was soon called upon after Kiwi flanker Johnny Leo'o touched down following a monster 30m drive by the resurgent Racing pack. Mehrtens duly kicked the conversion and then added a trio of quick-fire penalties to pull Racing back on level terms at 22-22 with just 10 minutes remaining.

Th initiative was well and truly with the home side by now, a fact seemingly confirmed when a massive Sébastien Chabal hit on Imanol Harinordoquy resulted in the Basque No 8 going off with a broken nose that will end his season.

Chabal was also instrumental in the game's decisive score just one minute from time when his powerful drive set up Bernard Le Roux for the match-winning try. Mehrtens added the conversion for good measure, to leave it 29-22 to Racing, prompting wild celebrations from the capital's new top team.

"We can start to dream," said a joyful Chabal afterwards. "We showed that this group and this team have lots of heart and solidarity, and we have managed to win despite being in trouble," he added.

The victory not only secured Racing's participation in the end-of-season play-offs - at Biarritz's expense - but also their presence in next season's Heineken Cup.

If Biarritz also want to play in that competition they will either have to win this season's Heineken Cup, or finish seventh in the league and hope that Stade Toulousain triumph - thus earning France an extra entry.

Elsewhere, a bad week for cash-strapped Montauban turned disastrous on Saturday afternoon as the Tarn and Garonne club lost a crucial home match against Montpellier 6-19. To compound matters fellow relegation strugglers Bayonne and Bourgoin also pulled off vital home wins - against Brive and Stade Toulousain respectively - leaving Marc Raynaud's troops staring at demotion on two fronts now.

Montauban have already been notified of their potential relegation on financial grounds - pending an appeal - and now they find themselves in 13th position and facing the automatic drop on playing grounds with just one more match to go. Crucially, however, that match is at home to Bayonne, who remain within reach despite their excellent result against Brive.

Nerves were evident throughout a tense encounter with Montpellier that saw five yellow cards and numerous squandered scoring opportunities. Both teams' kickers had problems with their radar early on as Johan Dalla-Riva and Fédérico Todeschini missed a pair of penalties apiece before the latter finally broke the deadlock on the half hour.

One more kick each was wasted by either side before the break, but Montpellier also went in a man down after Vassili Bost was sin-binned on 37 minutes.

Raynaud sent on Julien Audy for Laharrague at half-time and the replacement at last gave the  desperate supporters something to cheer as he made an immediate impact with a pair of successful penalties. Todeschini's 50th-minute reply left it all square at 6-6 before Montauban prop Silviu Florea and Montpellier lock Mamuka Gorgodze received yellows after tempers flared again.

France fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc became increasingly influential as the game wore on and it was his 64th-minute drop-goal that pushed Montpellier back in the lead as the visitors edged ahead. Shortly after Montauban sub Joel Koffi then became the fourth player to see yellow, paving the way for further sustained Montpellier pressure that culminated in Trinh-Duc going over from close in for the game's crucial score.

Todeschini's conversion made it 19-6 to Montpol and although Philemon Toleafoa was sin-binned in the final minute they were understandably joyous at the final whistle after the victory confirmed their own Top 14 status for another season. The Stade Sapiac, contrastingly, was deathly mute as the consequences of their team's increasingly beleaguered plight became ever starker.

Montauban have now replaced Bayonne in 13th place after the Basques registered a 33-25 home win over Brive that both strengthened their own survival hopes and simultaneously ended their visitors' slim chances of making the play-offs.

Scrum-half Cédric Garcia set them on their way with a brace of early penalties in a match that bristled with attacking intent from both sides. South African full-back Scott Spedding was then yellow carded on 17 minutes for Brive after a deliberate knock-on, with Bayonne capitalising just three minutes later when centre Thibault Lacroix crossed for the game's opening try.

Garcia added the conversion and a subsequent penalty to put the hosts 16-0 up, with Brive managing a solitary Alexis Palisson penalty in reply before the break.

Bayonne winger Sam Gerber then extended the advantage further with an 80m breakaway try six minutes after the restart after intercepting a stray Fabrice Estebanez pass. The South African had double reason to celebrate as it was his eighth Top 14 try of the season - leaving him as the division's leading try-scorer. Garcia's conversion left Brive 23-3 down, but the Limousin club refused the buckle as they continue to seek the win to push for the play-offs.

England centre Riki Flutey may have missing injured (again) but his national colleague Jamie Noon grabbed a try back for Brive on 49 minutes after bursting through two defenders, with Alexis Palisson adding the conversion and a penalty to offer the visitors renewed hope.

Garcia's fourth penalty success gave Bayonne breathing space on 54 minutes, but Brive responded in style again, with replacement scrum-half Jean-Baptiste Péjoine going over just one minute later.

At 26-18 it was still anyone's game, but Bayonne crucially scored next with New Zealander Ross Filipo barging over from number eight as the forwards piled on the pressure at a five-metre scrum. Garcia's conversion put the result beyond doubt as the Basques went 33-18 ahead, but there was still time for Estebanez to cross for Brive's third try - converted by Palisson. But it wasn't enough, ultimately, to avert another defeat as Brive's play-off hopes were finally terminated.

For Bayonne, however, all attention now turns to their make-or-break trip to Montauban next weekend in a classic last-day decider.

The day's other big winners were Bourgoin, who overcame Heineken Cup semi-finalists Stade Toulousain 15-13 in front of 26,000 fans at the Stade Gerland in Lyon.

Bourgoin had begun the day in 12th spot, just two points ahead of Bayonne, but now go into the final round of matches a critical four points ahead of Montauban following the weekend's other results.

Full-back Alberto Di Bernardo was Bourgoin's heroes after kicking all 15 of their points via five successful penalties, although things weren't looking good for the hosts when Virgil Lacombe crossed for a ninth-minute try for Toulouse.

Fly-half David Skrela kicked the conversion and a 25th-minute penalty to put the visitors 3-10 ahead, but Di Bernardo's boot slowly reeled them in. The former Leeds player landed his second penalty before half-time, and went on to add three more after the interval - the last coming seven minutes from time - as Bourgoin once more underlined their season-long survival instincts. 

Bottom club SCA Albi hammered further humiliation on Stade Francais' current malaise with a staggering 38-24 home win on Saturday.

Hapless Albi were relegated weeks ago, but they still proved too good for the woeful Parisians as the hosts registered only their fourth victory of the entire season.

Full-back Benjamin Lapeyre set them on their way with four successful penalties in the opening quarter of an hour as Stade appeared numbed after their lengthy bus journey, but Pierre-Gilles Lakafia's 15th-minute yellow card offered them hope after the winger was sin-binned for a high tackle on Mirco Bergamasco.

Flanker Antoine Burban powered over from close range for the game's opening try just six minutes later, with Bergamasco himself adding a second shortly before the interval, although Lapeyre scored a fifth penalty in-between to ensure Albi retained the half-time lead.

To add to Stade's woes prop Rabah Slimani was yellow-carded right on the whistle, and Albi soon made their advantage tell as Lapeyre kicked a sixth penalty before winger Dave Valinqueur touched down on 52 minutes.

Lapeyre was on target again soon after and Albi joy then turned to delirium as Kevin Boulogne stole in after a 50m break to make it 31-12. Disbelieving eyes were further rubbed when Lapeyre followed up his conversion with a try of his own 14 minutes from time to leave the division's basement club a mighty 38-12 ahead.

Two tries in the closing six minutes - from Lionel Beauxis and Guillaume Bousses - meant Stade actually finished outscoring their hosts by four tries to three, but the scoreboard told th all-important story as Albi ended 38-24 winners.

On Friday night, Clermont Auvergne fought back from 5-16 down to beat fellow title-chasers Castres 25-19 in an entertaining clash at the Stade Marcel Michelin

The hosts were initially once more undone by Brock James' wayward boot, with the Aussie No 10 missing a trio of first-half kicks as he continued his miserable current form. Remember it was James who missed out of 20 possible points as 'Les Jaunards' suffered Heineken heartbreak in Leinster last weekend.

Fortunately for Vern Cotter's team the coach sent on France scrum-half Morgan Parra after the break - at which point Clermont trailed 5-13 - and the Grand Slam winner slotted two conversions and two penalties as the home side rallied to claim a crucial win.

The victory temporarily lifted them above Castres and into second position as the target a top two finish, but this latest defeat for Castres was their third in fourth games. That could yet become four in five as they travel to Stade Toulousain next weekend, increasing the likelihood they will finish fifth in the league after looking good for a top two slot (and semi-final berth) for so much of the season.

Top 14 Table  / Top 14 try-scorers / Top 14 Results / Top 14 Fixtures

Indeed, Friday's match could be viewed as an encapsulation of their season to date with the visitors holding on to a surprise early lead before eventually being undone in the closing straight.

Fly-half Cameron McIntyre opted to sit out Friday's match to be with his hospitalized daughter, but dependable Romain Teulet stepped up from full-back, with Florian Denos moving in to the No 15 slot. And it was Teulet who got the scoreboard ticking with a third-minute penalty from 40m.

James tried to respond for Clermont but was wayward with his opening two efforts, paving the way for Teulet to double the Castres lead on 21 minutes when he slotted from wide on the left.

Clermont did eventually get on the board when South African centre Marius Joubert touched down just before the half-hour, with James at last having a significant say with a lovely long pass that set the former Springbok clear in the corner. The fly-half could not, however, add the touchline conversion as his usual accuracy continued to prove elusive.

Castres the replied with a try of their own six minutes before the break with diminutive France winger Marc Andreu showing his class by rounding two defenders before easing the visitors further ahead. Teulet then added the extras to leave Castres 13-5 to the good at the interval, and 'Robocop' was on target again six minutes after the restart when he landed another long range effort to earn Castres an 11-point cushion.

But that was as good as it got for away side, with Clermont responding with their second try just two minutes later as Elvis Vermeulen capitalised on excellent forward momentum. By now Parra had been sent on as replacement scrum-half - although it was probably truer to say that Cotter had opted to change kickers without further denting James' confidence by substituting him. The feisty No 9 duly landed the conversion to leave it 12-16 and further narrowed the gap when he slotted a 64th-minute penalty after yet more forward pressure.

Two minutes later Clermont were ahead for the first time on the night after Denos' attempted clearance kick was charged down by Gonzalo Canale. The Italian centre sprinted in gleefully under the posts and Parra's simple conversion left saw the home side move 22-16 ahead with less than 15 minutes to play.

A Teulet drop-goal offered Castres hope of a late revival, but Parra had the final word when he kicked his second penalty of the evening on 72 minutes to ensure Clermont go into the last round of matches with genuine hope of finishing in the top two.

Castres, on the other hand, must now regroup after a torrid end to their previously impressive campaign.