Toulon turned on the power as they beat Perpignan 43-12 to complete the league double over the 2009 champions.

Toulon's bonus-point win - which featured four tries - means the Catalans must now hope that Brive beat Montpellier tonight, otherwise they cannot qualify for the end-of-season play-offs.

Top 14 League Table 2010/11

If it was revenge that Toulon wanted, after their Heineken Cup defeat in Barcelona, then it won't have come much sweeter than this.

The hits were fulsome and commitment unquestioned as both sides slugged it out during the opening half hour. Clear openings were at a premium and it was with a certain inevitability that the point-scoring was monopolized up to then by Jonny Wilkinson and Jérôme Porical (with three penalties apiece).

But Toulon had scored five tries against Perpignan in their previous two meetings this season and Philippe Saint-André's side were not to be denied here. The breakthrough finally came just before half-time when Scottish full-back Rory Lamont went over from close range after good work from replacement winger Benjamin Lapeyre.

Wilkinson knocked over the conversion and then swiftly added a 52m touchline penalty with the final kick of the first half as Toulon went in 19-9 to the good.

The record international points-scorer was at it again after the break with a 42nd-minute penalty taking Toulon further clear, before Porical replied in kind to leave it 22-12. It remained like that for the next quarter of an hour before Fijian centre Gabi Lovobalavu scored a superb breakaway try, with Felipe Contepomi kicking the extras on this occasion after coming on for Wilkinson.

The Argentine play-maker was on target again when Fotu Auelua scored Toulon's third try on 70 minutes, and he capped an excellent cameo appearance by then waltzing in under the posts in the dying seconds. It was a memorable end to what could be Contepomi's last home game for Toulon - perhaps before heading to Stade Francais - and he he duly converted his own try to complete the 43-12 demolition.

The result lifted Toulon back into the top six with just one more game to play - away to Montpellier - while Perpignan were left to try and re-gather their thoughts ahead of next weekend's Heineken Cup semi-final away to Northampton Saints.

Earlier, there was action galore in Top 14 as Saturday's four 2.30pm kick-offs produced 32 tries and 11 yellow cards in the penultimate round of league fixtures.

Both Bayonne and Racing-Métro racked up more than 50 points (against Stade Francais and SU Agen respectively), while Stade Toulousain and Clermont Auvergne also took maximum points after their easy home wins against the relegated pair of Bourgoin and La Rochelle.

The net result of the all that means leaders Stade Toulousain have now secured a bye through to the play-off semi-finals - allowing them valuable breathing space in their quest for the 'double' - while defending champions Clermont Auvergne have now climbed to third, behind Racing.

Bayonne have also kept their play-off hopes alive and trail their Basque neighbours Biarritz by just one point after battering a disjointed Stade Francais.

Stade Toulousain were at the efficient best at home to Bourgoin as they ran in three tries in the opening 21 minutes before easing off the gas. Winger Vincent Clerc touched down for the first two before Top 14's leading try-scorer Maxime Médard grabbed their third to take his season's league tally to 14.

Fly-half David Skrela knocked over all three conversions to leave it 21-0 at half time, and the hosts went on to add two more tries after the break as Thierry Dusautoir and Yannick Jauzion both scored.

Dusautoir's was a welcome comeback try as the France and Toulouse skipper returned to action a week before his club's Heineken Cup semi-final away to Leinster. Both sides also had a player sin-binned in the second half with Toulouse losing Jean Bouilhou and Bourgoin Bogdan Leonte.

Toulouse's victory left them six points clear of both Clermont Auvergne and Castres (third and fourth respectively on 72 points), meaning that Guy Noves' team have now assured themselves of a play-off semi-final berth whatever the result of their final league game - which is at home to Clermont.

That should give them just the boost they need for next weekend's trip to Ireland.

Basement boys Bourgoin, meanwhile, slumped to their 16th straight league defeat, although they will take a modicum of pride in the fact they did not completely capitulate.

Racing-Métro remain in second place, but they were given a mighty second-half scare by SU Agen before eventually finishing 51-34 winners.

The Parisians appeared to be coasting as they went in 25-13 ahead at half time after tries from Sireli Bobo, Rémy Vaquin and Carlo Festuccia set them clear, with Tongan hooker Semisi Telefoni grabbing Agen's lone reply.

Number eight Sébastien Chabal then looked to have wrapped up proceedings when he bulldozed over from a 5m scrum on 49 minutes, leaving Racing 32-13 ahead and with the attacking bonus seemingly safe in their pocket.

But then Agen threw a might spanner in the wheel with three tries of their own in a crazy 12-minute spell that also featured a further score for Racing - from South African lock Francois Van de Merwe.

Agen winger Sylver Tian started the bizarre passage of play by scoring his side's second try on 58 minutes, with Argentine centre Miguel Avramovic and then Tian again following up with further scores soon after, which were all converted by Valentin Courrent - who was starting his first match since December 29th last year.

Suddenly Racing were under serious threat of losing a match they had been walking away with as Agen pulled back to 37-34 with just 10 minutes remaining.

Racing urgently refocused and flanker Jacques Cronje eased nerves when he scored the Paris club's sixth try of the afternoon with just eight minutes remaining. They were, however, still one try short of taking the attacking bonus until Chabal burst through for his second of the match in the game's final seconds, leaving Racing coach Pierre Berbizier a relieved man on the sidelines.

Defending champions Clermont Auvergne moved up to third spot after their 34-10 home win against La Rochelle.

'Les Jaunards' ran in six tries in all, with 21-year-old Fijian winger Kini Murimurivalu grabbing a brace as he once again impressed.

Flankers Julien Bonnaire and Alexandre Audebert got Clermont's first two tries, with Argentine prop Martin Scelzo and lock Thibault Privat also crossing as Clermont opened up a 20-3 lead by half time. It should have been more, but Brock James and Morgan Parra combined to miss all four conversion attempts for the hosts.

Murimurivalu extended their lead by crossing within two minutes of the restart, and the exciting youngster doubled up on 68 minutes as he scored his fourth try in eight starts for Clermont.

La Rochelle did manage a try back before the end, with number eight Thomas Soucaze going over in the 75th minute, but the result confirmed their inevitable relegation as they slipped to their 18th defeat of the campaign.

Clermont, by contrast, have now won all 13 of their home league games this season, collecting attacking bonuses in seven of those matches. It's just their dreadful away form that's held them back, but that is for another day.

Leading scorers in Top 14 2010/11

Elsewhere, play-off outsiders Bayonne thumped Stade Francais 54-20 as they ran in seven tries against the slipshod Parisians.

Fly-half Benjamin Boyet kicked them 9-0 ahead after 13 minutes, but Stade then replied with the game's opening try when 19-year-old fly-half Jules Plisson found the gap and raced in. Noel Oelschig's conversion left it 9-7 to the hosts, but Stade were never as close for the rest of another wretched afternoon for Michael Cheika's team.

Jean-Jo Marmouyet and Abdelatif Boutaty both crossed for Bayonne in the closing 10 minutes of the first half, and Jean-Baptiste Peyras added a third score within three minutes of teh restart as the Basques powered 28-13 ahead.

A flash of tempers then saw three yellow cards brandished as Bayonne lost David Roumieu and Pierre-Philippe Lafond, while Stade had Alexandre Flanquart sin-binned. despite their numerical disadvantage Bayonne went on to score two intercept tries during the ensuing 10 minutes, with Julien Audy and Yohann Huget running in to the clear despair of the on-looking Cheika.

Arnaud Marchois let his frustrations get the better of him and duly became the fourth player to be shown yellow after petulantly pushing Bayonne skipper Marc Baget on the hour. Six minutes later and he was joined by colleague Juan-Manuel Leguizamon, for an illegal shoulder challenge, and Bayonne took full advantage to run in two more tries - through the returned Roumieu and centre Thibault Lacroix.

The latter's score was in the 73rd minute, but there was still time for more fun and games as Bayonne's Francois Da Ros was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle, before Leguizamon - now back on the pitch - rumbled over for a late score for the visitors.

That all combined to leave Stade reflecting on their seventh loss in nine league games after a match which saw 74 points, nine tries and six yellow cards. At least they're entertaining!

Stade will now refocus on next weekend's shit-or-bust ACC semi-final against Clermont Auvergne, while Bayonne will travel to relegated La Rochelle in two weeks time with genuine hope of squeezing into the end of season league play-offs.

Castres made it 13 wins from 13 at home this season as they beat Biarritz 16-13 at the Stade Pierre Antoine on Friday. Full-back Romain Teulet kicked 11 points - taking him past 300 in Top 14 this season - while Uruguayan lock Rodrigo Capo-Ortega scored their only try.

Biarritz mounted a spirited fight-back after going 16-3 down early in the second half, with fly-half Julien Peyrelongue grabbing a late try to set up a tense finale, but Castres just did enough to hold out for the victory. (Read full report)