Former England winger Paul Sackey scored two tries in five second-half minutes as Toulon recorded a crucial 21-9 home win against leaders Stade Toulousain on Saturday.

The 31-year-old, who is rumoured to be leaving the club at the end of the season, touched down in the 52nd and 57th minutes to seal a victory that reignites Toulon's play-off hopes.

Philippe Saint-André's side responded perfectly to their Heineken Cup disappointment in Barcelona as they were roared on to glory by 60,000 fans at Marseille's Stade Vélodrome.

Their win was their third in as many seasons against Stade Toulousain at this venue, and also featured 11 points from the boot of Jonny Wilkinson - including a monster 50m drop-goal and an even longer late penalty.

Toulouse replied with a brace of Florian Fritz penalties after Wilko's early drop-goal, and Guy Noves' team held on to that advantage to lead 6-3 at the interval.

But Wilkinson's 51st-minute penalty found the target to level the scores, before Sackey's game-breaking double. The first stemmed from a long Wilkinson pass to Gabi Lovobalavu, while the second featured a switch with Welsh centre Gavin Henson, who was making only his second appearance for Toulon.

The win wasn't enough to force Toulon into the top six, but it did contribute to the ever tightening race for play-off qualification following the earlier defeats for both Racing-Métro 92 and Montpellier. Racing may not be overly disappointed with a bonus-point loss away at Perpignan - especially as they appeared set to depart empty-handed until Sébastien Chabal's injury time converted try - but Montpellier will be devastated after going down 22-17 at home to Bayonne as their season-long unbeaten record at the Stade Yves du Manoir came crashing down.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

Bayonne, by contrast, have now played their way back into the play-off shake-up following successive wins against both Racing and Montpellier. It was the perfect way for the Basques to celebrate the end of a week which saw long-serving president Francis Salagoity resign and be replaced by Michel Cacouault - a close friend of main sponsor Alain Afflelou.

It all combines to mean that just four points separates second-placed Racing from seventh-placed Toulon, while Perpignan (who meet Toulon next weekend) and Bayonne also remain hopeful after their respective wins. Indeed, ninth-placed Bayonne remarkably have the same number of league wins (14) as second-placed Racing.

Elsewhere, there were perhaps more predictable away wins for both Castres (at Bourgoin) and Clermont Auvergne (against Stade Francais), while Biarritz blew away their Heineken hangover with a 52-26 demolition of Brive.

Pierre Berbizier’s second-placed Racing-Métro 92 appeared destined to return home from Perpignan empty-handed as they slipped 23-9 down following second-half tries from Joffrey Michel and free-scoring South African centre Rudi Coetzee – who crossed for his fourth try in five starts since signing from Bourgoin recently.

Fly-half Nicolas Laharrague converted both efforts, to go along with three penalties, but Racing were jubilant to emerge with the bonus after their initial 80 minutes had resulted in just three Jonathan Wisniewski penalties. The usually metronomic kicker also missed with three other efforts, but his profligacy was salvaged by Chabal’s 81^st-minute try, which Wisniewski then converted to leave the final score 23-16.

Perpignan - champions in 2009 and runners-up last season - are now three points off the play-off zone and will need a victory away at Toulon next weekend to maintain their slim hopes of making a third successive final appearance.

Racing, meanwhile, were rejoicing after their losing bonus proved enough to keep the Parisians in second-place, just ahead of Castres on 68 points after the latter won 33-22 away to basement club Bourgoin.

Castres inflicted a 15^th straight defeat on their hosts – a new unwanted record in Top 14 – after first-half tries from Matthieu Nicolas and Josefa Tekori eased them clear. Nicolas doubled up after the break, with winger Yoann Audrin adding a fourth on 78 minutes, but Bourgoin never caved in and managed four tries of their own without ever really threatening to win.

Winger Jean-Francois Coux touched down in the 18^th and 67^th minutes, while replacement hooker Remy Vigneaux and lock Albin Loucks also got on the scoresheet – in the 44^th and 80^th minutes respectively.

Castres may be kicking themselves for not claiming the attacking bonus but this was fifth win in six games as they continue to push for one of the two automatic semi-final berths.

Their latest win took them ahead of Montpellier, who slipped dramatically from third to sixth after losing their season-long unbeaten home record following their 22-17 defeat by Bayonne.

There was never more than a five-point gap between the two sides during a tight-fought encounter, but it was the Basque’s who emerged victorious at the end of a week which finally saw their off-field power struggle resolved.

It was a performance which underlined the potential that Bayonne have - which a robust summer spending spree hopes to bolster - especially after going behind when Montpellier’s Fijian winger Timoci Nagusa touched down just 36 seconds into the game.

But Bayonne responded with two first-half tries of their own – through Abdelatif Boutaty and Guillaume Bernad – as they temporarily moved 12-11 ahead after 23 minutes. Martin Bustos-Moyano subsequently slotted his third penalty success of the half to earn Montpellier a 14-12 interval lead.

Moyano and Bayonne counterpart Benjamin Boyet traded a further penalty apiece at the start of the second period, before South African Sam Gerber scored the decisive try 10 minutes from time.

Biarritz are now up to fourth after hammering Brive 52-26 in a match which featured 12 tries, including a rare double for the Basques’ former England flanker. Number eight Rafael Lakafia also claimed a brace, while Marcelo Bosch, Wenceslas Lauret, Ilikena Bolakoro and Takudzwa Ngwenya also went over for Biarritz.

Shaun Perry was among the scorers for Brive – together with Gerhard Vosloo (2) and Jean-Philippe Bonrepaux – but in truth the visitors played in carefree fashion after their Top 14 survival had been secured by La Rochelle’s 29-19 home defeat by SU Agen on Friday night.

Defending champions Clermont Auvergne are now level on points with fourth-placed Biarritz after winning 20-10 at the Stade de France to continue Stade Francais’ woeful league form.

The victory was Clermont’s first away from home in Top 14 for eight months, with their sole previous travelling success this season being a 25-12 triumph at hapless on Bourgoin way back on 20th August 2010.

Tries from 21-year-old Fijian Kini Murimurivalu and French winger Julien Malzieu sealed the win, with scrum-half Morgan Parra kicking the rest of their points.

It was a vital win for Vern Cotter's team as they had gone into this weekend knowing defeat could have seen drop out of the top six, and risk the possibility of becoming the first team since the play-offs were introduced not to qualify to defend their title the following season.

That prospect now looks less likely, especially with a home game to follow against already relegated La Rochelle, but they won't want to wait until their final league fixture to secure the presence - that is away to Stade Toulousain!

For Stade Francais this was a mere continuation of a disastrous league season as this was their 11th defeat, and their fourth at 'home'. The fact this match was played out in front of more than 65,000 at the Stade de France will not have helped, despite the welcome coffers it will add to a stretched financial situation.

A third-minute Lionel Beauxis drop-goal gave them an early lead, but Clermont replied swiftly with youngster Murimurivalu touching down for his maiden Top 14 try on the quarter hour to put the visitors ahead. Parra's touchline conversion was subsequently followed up with a 33rd-minute penalty as 'Les Jaunards' opened up a 10-3 half-time lead.

Stade scrum-half Julien Dupuy responded with a 50th-minute penalty of his own, but two other misses proved costly, especially once Malzieu had crossed on 53 minutes following a pin-point cross-kick from Brock James. Parra again landed the extras to make it 17-6 to Clermont.

The Parisians did raise hope of a fight-back as Beauxis landed a pair of penalties to reduce the arrears, and they enjoyed plenty of possession as they pushed for a match-winning try. But it proved to no avail and James was able to seal Clermont's win when he knocked over a regulation penalty one minute from time.

For Stade it was another poor result - their fifth defeat in six league games - while Clermont will be bolstered by their performance on two levels. Not only did the result improve their play-off hopes, it was also a handy marker to lay down ahead of these two clashing again in Paris in their forthcoming ACC semi-final on April 29th.

La Rochelle's Top 14 adventure is over after just one season following their 29-19 home defeat by SU Agen on Friday night.

'The Maritimers' simply had to win to have any chance of surviving, but they were undone by an Agen side showing greater realism as they outscored their hosts by two tries to one.

The latter of those scores came seven minutes into injury time as full-back Sylver Tian broke the length of the pitch to seal the win after La Rochelle had failed to convert try-line pressure into the score they so badly sought.

It may have been a cruel way to finally be condemned, but their drop back down to ProD2 has had an air of inevitability about it for the past few weeks following a run of seven league defeats in eight, including four at home. Agen, last year's ProD2 champions, have strung together five wins from eight over the same period and thoroughly deserve their success in staying up at the first attempt.

They immediately announced that mid-season signings Tian (from Bourgoin) and Dewald Senekal (from Toulon) had agreed new deals to remain with the club.

La Rochelle started brightly enough, with eye-bulging early intensity earning them a 6-0 lead after just six minutes thanks to a pair of Greg Goosen penalties. But Agen gradually found their feet and were back on level terms by the 13th minute as South African fly-half Conrad Barnard calmly slotted two penalties of his own.

Their continuing efforts were hampered, however, when scrum-half Maxime Machenaud was yellow-carded in the 18th minute for a deliberate off-side, and la Rochelle gave renewed hope to their supporters by reclaiming their six-point lead following a further brace of Goosen penalties.

But just when it seemed that La Rochelle were making Agen pay for their ill-discipline the visitors bucked logic and ran in the game's first try - despite being down to 14 men - when Tongan lock Lisiate Fa'aoso touched down after a series of pick and gos. Barnard duly landed the conversion as Agen moved ahead for the first time in the match, managing to hold on to their 13-12 advantage until half time.

The first period ended on a sour note when veteran Fijian wing Norman Ligairi was stretchered off, with the 35-year-old La Rochelle player later confirmed to have sustained a fractured tibia. It was a cruel break indeed, and one that will definitely mean he misses the World Cup. It could even spell the end of his distinguished career.

Agen moved four points ahead soon after the restart when Barnard landed his third successful penalty of the night, but the visitors were again reduced to 14 men when Senekal was this time sin-binned on 52 minutes.

La Rochelle used their advantage to better end result this time, finally earning their first try of the night when number eight Piula Faasalele powered over. It was no more than the hosts deserved having had two previous efforts turned down following television replays, and Goosen's conversion temporarily put them back in the lead 19-16.

Their advantage was short-lived, however, with Barnard's 57th-minute penalty drawing the teams level, before yet another effort sailed through the posts just three minutes later as Agen pulled ahead.

La Rochelle drew deep as they pushed for the second try which would have won them the match - and earned them a lifeline - but in the end their fumbled their opportunity, and in so doing allowed Agen off the hook. Tian's late, late try merely rubbed salt in their wounds, with Barnard slotting the 87th-minute conversion to end with a match haul of 19 points.

There is still a minuscule mathematical possibility that La Rochelle could stay up, but it's the type of formula that involves cows jumping over moons and unicorns prancing down the Champs Elysees. In short, it ain't gonna happen and La Rochelle must now prepare themselves for their return to ProD2.

Leading scorers in Top 14 2010/11

They have put up a valiant fight this season, but in the end just fell short. They will start again next season with an entirely new-look coaching staff, and it must be hoped they will retain the majority of their playing squad.

Fly-half Rémi Tales felt Friday's loss was a microcosm of their season. "Much was produced, we played a lot, we had fun but the win did not materialize," he reflected. "It was a great adventure [in Top 14]. We went into the unknown and in the end we see that we were very close to the highest level," he added.

Tales now hopes that La Rochelle can at least win their final home game of the season (against Bayonne) to end on a high. "We have great memories, a crazy atmosphere in ever game and big matches against big players. It was a very positive experience," he concluded.