Top 14: Michalak keeps Stade Toulouse top; Impeccable James continues Clermont run

Leaders Stade Toulousain maintained their one-point advantage at the head of Top 14 thanks to a hard-earned 26-11 home win against a determined Castres.

The defending champions had Frédéric Michalak to thank after the scrum-half finally found his kicking boots to land four penalties and a conversion for Guy Noves’ team.

Grégory Lamboley’s first half try set them on their way, with tyro centre Rémy Lamerat confirming the win when he went over for the decisive score – and his first for the club – nine minutes from time.

Michalak’s boot kept the scoreboard ticking over in-between, but Castres refused to fold and had Afeleke Pelenise’s 22^nd minute try to thank for keeping them in contention.

Top 14 table

The visitors remain dangerously close to the relegation zone and now level on points (33) with Toulon after the latter’s heart-breaking late defeat at home to second-placed Perpignan.

The Catalans looked destined for a shock defeat as Toulon opened up a 13-point cushion midway through the second-half, but Henry Tuilagi’s try spurred them to a late-late comeback, which was capped by David Mélé’s winning drop-goal with the final kick of the game.

Player coach Tana Umaga – who came on as a second-half replacement – hauled his demoralized troops together for a pep talk at the final whistle after earlier tries by Joselito Suta and captain Joe Van Niekerk had seemingly set them on their way to victory.

And all this played out in front of the on-looking Jonny Wilkinson, who was in Toulon to conduct transfer talks with president Mourad Boudjellal.

He will have been impressed by the renewed vigour shown by his would-be future team-mates, including that of fly-half Sebastien Fauqué, who landed four penalties, a drop-goal and a conversion – in addition to setting up Van Niekerk’s try.

But Toulon had to be satisfied with a solitary defensive bonus point for all their efforts – harsh reward for a performance than deserved so much more.

Perpignan, meanwhile, will be delighted to have escaped with the win as they stay one point behind Stade Toulousain - and consolidate second place after Stade Francais' Friday night defeat at Montauban.

Clermont Auvergne continued their impressive recent home form as they demolished Bourgoin 57-23 at the Stade Marcel Michelin – making it 144 points in their last three home games.

Les Jaunards ran in six tries, including five in a rampant second-half as Bourgoin conceded 50 points for the second week in succession.

Full-back Anthony Floch scored either side of the interval to start off the rout, with Brent Russell, Elvis Vermeulen, Pierre Mignoni and Napolioni Nalaga all subsequently getting in on the act.

The impeccable Brock James ensured the half century was passed with a perfect 10 out of 10 place kicks – six conversions and four penalties. The Australian fly-half, who also landed a 35m drop-goal, has now been successful with an incredible 39 consecutive goal kicks in Top 14.

Basement duo Mont-de-Marsan and Dax were also forced to settle for defensive bonus points as they both went down to narrow defeats.

Mont-de-Marsan will be the more frustrated after Damien Cler missed a last-minute penalty in their 18-16 home defeat by Brive. The loss will be all the more galling given that Les Montois were leading 16-11 with just eight minutes to go.

Cler had been the home side’s hero up then with a try, three penalties and a conversion, but his last-minute miss (admittedly from 50m) proved costly after 20-year-old Jonathan Pélissié scored his maiden try for Brive eight minutes from time.

Pélissié then showed admirable temperament as he dusted himself down to land the match-winning conversion continue Brive’s push for Heineken Cup qualification.

Les Correziens have now lost just once in their last 11 league games and remain sixth in Top 14.

Welsh full-back Barry Davies also had a game to remember for the visitors as he followed his eighth-minute try with two penalties and then a second-half sin-binning.

The win kept them one-point ahead of Bayonne, who maintained their unbeaten home record with a 14-9 victory over Dax.

A second-half try from Arnaud Heguy and two late penalties from Louis Strydom confirmed the win after a battling performance from Dax belied their recent woeful form. The visitors even led 6-3 at half-time, but this was their eighth successive league defeat as they get drawn ever nearer to Pro D2.  They did at least have the satisfaction of gaining a defensive bonus point, but that will be of little consolation this evening to Thomas Lièvremont and his men.

Montpellier, meanwhile, made it two wins from two since the dismissal of coach Didier Nourault when they beat Biarritz 12-9 in the day's final match.

Fly-half Benoit Paillaugue kicked all of the home side's points in a match that was low on quality, if not tension.

The result leaves both teams level on 45 points in mid-table, but Biarritz will be disappointed to have lost further ground in the race for Heineken Cup qualification.

They also lost Dimitri Yachvili early on to a high tackle which left him in hospital.