Stade Toulousain 28 (10)
Racing-Métro 23 (9)

They were made to work extremely hard, but Stade Toulousain eventually overcame a determined Racing-Métro thanks to tries from Clément Poitrenaud, Yoann Maestri and Jean Bouilhou.

Stade went into the game still smarting from last week's 26-10 loss at Biarritz and having been defeated in two of their past three home games. But this win lifted them above Toulon into fourth and sets them up perfectly for next weekend's Heineken Cup quarterfinal against struggling Stade Francais.

Racing, by contrast, have now lost three of their last four and must now spend a tense weekend watching other results as most notably Biarritz and Brive seek to close the gap on their current sixth-placed berth.

Victory for the either could lift them to within three points on Saturday, with Racing tantalisingly set to entertain the Basques in Round 25. 

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Racing knew they had to grab points at every given opportunity if they were to triumph, and veteran All Black fly-half Andrew Mehrtens rolled back the years with a second-minute minute drop-goal that flashed them ahead.

Mehrtens, who turns 37 later this month, was expertly set up by scrum-half Jérôme Fillol on the Stade 22, but the home team bounced back with aplomb when Poitrenaud touched down just two minutes later.

Winger Cédric Heymans began the move with a break on the halfway line before David Skrela finally teed up the France full-back for the opening try of the evening. Skrela added the extras to make 7-3, but he missed with a subsequent penalty when his 40m-effort struck the right post.

The in-form fly-half had more success on 11 minutes, adding another three points to the Stade score after his initial break had enabled Florian Fritz to get with a yard of another try. With Racing forced to concede a penalty the omens didn't look good as Guy Noves' team moved 10-3 ahead.

Poitrenaud and Byron Kelleher almost combined for another try shortly after as Stade continued to push on, but Racing gradually stemmed the flow and came back to within four points when Mehrtens slotted a 40m penalty from the corner on the half hour. He missed with a second similar attempt five minutes later but was on target again just before the break as Racing closed the stronger to set up a fascinating second period.

Noves brought on Maxime Médard for Heymans at the interval and Toulouse began the second half in ideal fashion by racking up eight points in four minutes as they pushed to secure their advantage. First Skrela knocked over a simple penalty after Poitrenaud had again caused havoc, and then lock Maestri was awarded a try after television replays having touched down after kicking through. Skrela missed the conversion this time, but the hosts had already opened up a significant 18-9 lead.

A Daan Human infringement allowed Mehrtens to reply with a 49th-minute penalty for the dogged visitors, and Toulouse's discipline let them down again - as it had at Biarritz - as the Parisians continued took momentary control. Two more (non-kickable) penalties followed in quick succession before centre Yannick Jauzion was yellow-carded on 54 minutes. Mehrtens did kick the ensuing penalty this time and the Pierre Berbizier's side were suddenly back within three points and a man to the good.

The swing in momentum continued two minutes later when South African flanker Jacques Cronje burst past countryman Shaun Sowerby to score in the corner for now buoyant Racing. Mehrtens failed with conversion attempt but Racing had still reclaimed the lead for the first time since the fourth minute.

It proved to be a similarly short-lived experience, however, with Skrela stepping up to slot a 37th-minute penalty for Toulouse on 63 minutes, although he missed with a 38m-effort shortly after.

The hosts cranked up the pressure as the match entered its final 15 minutes and their forward dominance finally told when Bouilhou crashed over for the game-winning score. Skrela added the extras to make it 28-20, but Mehrtens managed one more late penalty - his sixth success of the night - to ensure that Racing at least left with the bonus point their efforts deserved.