Top 14, round 25: Bourgoin win sends Dax down; Brive revive their Heineken hopes

Dax will join Mont-de-Marsan in ProD2 next season after Bourgoin beat Castres 31-23 to finally confirm relegation for Thomas Lièvremont's team.

Their 12-22 home defeat by Toulon on Friday evening had effectively sealed their fate, but Bourgoin ensured against any last-day dramas as they fought back from 5-16 down after half an hour to earn the win that secured their own Top 14 status.

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South African Rudi Coetzee set them on their way when he opened the scoring with a seventh-minute try at Stade Pierre Rajon, but Castres threatened to ignore the script when they then scored 16 unanswered points through three penalties and a Russian lock Kiril Koulemine’s converted try.

Bourgoin lock Connie Basson went over to narrow the gap before the interval, but Castres’ centre Lionel Mazars caused further alarms when he touched down on 48 minutes to put the visitors 23-15 ahead.

David Forest’s try four minutes later gave Bourgoin renewed hope before 11 points from the boot of Benjamin Boyet sealed the comeback win.

Bourgoin can now relax for next weekend’s trip to Brive as they rest weary legs ahead of the European Challenge Cup final against Northampton Saints.

There will be no let up from Brive though, who beat Montpellier 28-18 to set up a final-day shootout with Bayonne and Biarritz for the last Heineken Cup slot (or slots, depending on Bourgoin’s ECC exploits).

England fly-half Andy Goode was instrumental to Saturday’s win, landing three drop-goals, three penalties and a conversion before giving way to Italian Luciano Orquera after 54 minutes.

The damage had already been done by then, with the former Leicester player adding to Johan van Zyl’s 14^th-minute try.

Montpellier did manage two tries of their own – through Jacques Schutte and France fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc – but Brive held on to finally end their four-match losing streak.

The win lifted them above both Bayonne - who lost 9-12 at home to Stade Toulousain - and Biarritz - who play Stade Francais away on Sunday.

Bayonne's narrow home defeat came courtesy of four successful penalty kicks from Stade Toulousain, and leaves them looking nervously ahead to next week's home fixture against Stade Francais.

Stade Toulousain, meanwhile, have concerns of their own after registering just one try in their last four matches - although victory alone at the Stade Jean Dauger is usually good enough for most teams, an kept them snuggled in safely in second position.

Up above them, leaders Perpignan required a 66^th-minute penalty try to earn a crucial bonus point as they beat Montauban 19-9 at the Stade Aime Giral. Earlier scores from Julien Candelon and Gavin Hume set up the win that keeps the Catalans top, and the margin would have been far greater but for a profligate afternoon from Nicolas Laharrague – who missed four kicks at goal. Montauban’s response was limited to three penalty kicks – two from Cedric Rosalen and one from Regis Lespinas.

Clermont Auvergne, meanwhile, confirmed their status as the division’s top scorers as they ran in 10 tries in their 66-3 demolition of already relegated Mont-de-Marsan.

Prolific Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga led the rout with this third hat-trick of the season – taking his overall tally to 19 – with Aurélien Rougerie (2), Alexandre Audebert, Anthony Floch, Thibault Privat, Loic Jacquet and Gonzalo Canale also getting on the scoresheet.

It was the biggest win of the season to date and helped Clermont avenge their surprise 12-11 defeat at Mont-de-Marsan earlier in the season.