Round 17 of the Top 14 delivered another weekend of intense battles, crucial victories, and season-defining moments. As the competition enters its final stretch, teams are fighting for playoff spots, top-table dominance, and survival in France’s toughest league.
This week saw Castres mount a second-half comeback, Toulon storm to the top of the table, and Racing 92 break their winless streak in dramatic fashion. Meanwhile, Toulouse put on a dominant display against Bayonne, and Bordeaux-Bègles edged out Clermont in a tense showdown.
Here’s a full recap of all the Round 17 action, scores, and highlights from the weekend!
CASTRES COMPLETE SECOND-HALF COMEBACK TO EDGE LYON IN TOUGH BATTLE
Castres 30 – 25 Lyon (HT 11-19)
Castres Olympique overturned an eight-point halftime deficit to secure a hard-fought 30-25 victory over Lyon at Stade Pierre-Fabre, maintaining their unbeaten record in 2025. Lyon started stronger, with Martin Méliande’s boot keeping them ahead, while Beka Saghinadze’s first-half try compounded Castres’ struggles. However, an intercepted try from Rémy Baget early in the second half swung momentum, and Jérémy Fernandez’s pinpoint kicking—contributing 20 points—kept the scoreboard ticking for Castres. Despite Lyon’s resistance, ill-discipline proved costly, as Fernandez’s late penalty sealed the hosts’ comeback win, extending Lyon’s winless streak in Castres since 2017.
CASTRES
- Tries: Botitu (14’), Baget (44’)
- Conversions: Fernandez (45’)
- Penalties: Fernandez (19’, 35’, 48’, 59’, 72’, 80’)
LYON
- Tries: Saghinadze (26’)
- Conversions: Méliande (27’)
- Penalties: Méliande (6’, 13’, 22’, 40’, 51’), Niniashvili (67’)
TOULON CRUISES PAST STADE FRANÇAIS TO GO TOP OF THE TABLE
Toulon 24 – 6 Stade Français (HT 14-6)
Toulon continued their strong form with a dominant 24-6 victory over Stade Français at Stade Mayol, securing a bonus-point win to momentarily claim the top spot in the Top 14. Stade Français started well, taking a 6-0 lead through two penalties from Zack Henry. However, Toulon responded through Jiuta Wainiqolo, who crossed twice before halftime to give the hosts a commanding lead. Louis Hervé added a penalty in the second half, and a late penalty try sealed the win after Stade Français saw Paul Gabrillagues sin-binned. The loss leaves Stade Français at the bottom of the table, while Toulon extends their home dominance with another five-point haul.
TOULON
- Tries: Wainiqolo (32’, 38’), Penalty Try (77’)
- Conversions: Hervé (33’, 39’)
- Penalties: Hervé (54’)
STADE FRANÇAIS
- Penalties: Henry (21’, 28’)
VANNES DOMINATES MONTPELLIER TO CLIMB OFF THE BOTTOM OF THE TABLE
Vannes 37 – 24 Montpellier (HT 27-3)
Vannes secured a crucial 37-24 victory over Montpellier at La Rabine, delivering a dominant first-half performance that propelled them off the bottom of the Top 14 standings. The hosts capitalized on Montpellier’s early indiscipline, with Ruru, Surano, and Moukoro all crossing in a blistering first half. Maxime Lafage’s precise kicking extended the lead, giving Vannes a commanding 27-3 advantage at the break. Despite a late Montpellier fightback, including tries from Joe Simmonds and Lenni Doan, Vannes held firm to claim an important four points. While Montpellier struggled with discipline and execution, Vannes showcased their resilience, securing a vital win in their survival battle.
VANNES
- Tries: Ruru (8’), Surano (24’), Moukoro (38’), Boulier (76’)
- Conversions: Lafage (9’, 25’, 39’, 77’)
- Penalties: Lafage (18’, 30’, 43’)
MONTPELLIER
- Tries: Penalty Try (69’), Simmonds (79’), Doan (80+2’)
- Conversions: Reus (79’, 80’)
- Penalties: Reus (22’)
PAU GRINDS OUT CRUCIAL WIN OVER PERPIGNAN TO MOVE AWAY FROM RELEGATION ZONE
Pau 23 – 6 Perpignan (HT 10-6)
In a hard-fought battle under heavy rain at Stade du Hameau, Section Paloise secured a vital 23-6 victory over Perpignan, further distancing themselves from the relegation zone. The visitors started strong, with Hugo Delpy slotting two penalties to give Perpignan an early lead, but Pau responded before halftime through a well-constructed maul finished by Romain Ruffenach. Joe Simmonds added a penalty just before the break to put Pau ahead 10-6. The second half remained a physical contest, with Perpignan struggling to create scoring opportunities, while Pau patiently controlled possession. Simmonds added another penalty before Clément Grandidier sealed the result with a late try in the 79th minute. While Pau can breathe easier with this crucial win, Perpignan remains winless on the road and faces a must-win clash against Bordeaux-Bègles next week.
PAU
- Tries: Ruffenach (35’), Grandidier (79’)
- Conversions: Simmonds (36’, 80’)
- Penalties: Simmonds (39’, 58’, 64’)
PERPIGNAN
- Penalties: Delpy (4’, 29’)
RACING 92 STUNS LA ROCHELLE FOR FIRST TOP 14 WIN IN THREE MONTHS
La Rochelle 21 – 26 Racing 92 (HT 0-10)
Racing 92 ended their three-month Top 14 winless streak with a hard-fought 26-21 victory over La Rochelle at Stade Marcel-Deflandre. A dominant first half saw the visitors control territory and capitalize on La Rochelle’s repeated mistakes, with Tristan Tedder’s boot and a Manyarara try giving Racing a 10-0 halftime lead. The hosts responded in the second half as Antoine Hastoy and Pierre Bourgarit crossed to briefly take the lead, but Racing hit back immediately through Cameron Woki before Tedder’s accuracy off the tee extended the gap. Despite a late surge and a second Bourgarit try, La Rochelle’s indiscipline and handling errors proved costly, sealing a crucial win for Racing in the relegation battle.
LA ROCHELLE
- Tries: Hastoy (43’), Bourgarit (53’, 78’)
- Conversions: Hastoy (44’, 54’, 79’)
RACING 92
- Tries: Manyarara (12’), Woki (55’)
- Conversions: Tedder (13’, 56’)
- Penalties: Tedder (8’, 49’, 63’, 74’)
TOULOUSE CRUSHES BAYONNE TO RECLAIM TOP 14 LEAD
Toulouse 41 – 6 Bayonne (HT 17-6)
Toulouse reaffirmed their dominance in the Top 14 with a resounding 41-6 victory over Bayonne at Stade Ernest-Wallon, securing a bonus-point win to reclaim the top spot in the standings. Despite a strong start from the visitors, Toulouse took control in the first half through tries from Juan Cruz Mallia, Guillaume Cramont, and Nelson Épée. The second half saw an offensive onslaught from the hosts, as Santiago Chocobares, Mathis Castro-Ferreira, Dimitri Delibes, and Épée added to the tally, while Bayonne failed to breach the Toulouse defense. With clinical execution and superior physicality, Toulouse extended their unbeaten run in 2025, while Bayonne was left reeling from an error-strewn performance.
TOULOUSE
- Tries: Mallia (14’), Cramont (22’), Épée (38’, 71’), Chocobares (46’), Castro-Ferreira (48’), Delibes (57’)
- Conversions: Malia (15’, 47’), Remue (72’)
BAYONNE
- Penalties: Segonds (19’, 33’)
BORDEAUX-BÈGLES EDGE CLERMONT IN HARD-FOUGHT CLASH
Union Bordeaux-Bègles 22 – 18 ASM Clermont (HT 10-5)
Union Bordeaux-Bègles returned to winning ways with a gritty 22-18 victory over ASM Clermont at Stade Chaban-Delmas, overcoming numerous handling errors to secure a crucial home win. Despite Clermont’s territorial dominance, UBB struck first through a powerful finish from Sipili Falatea. The visitors responded with a well-executed maul try from Folau Fainga’a, but lacked the finishing touch in key moments. Before halftime, UBB’s relentless pick-and-go play allowed Ben Tameifuna to crash over, while Clermont’s frustration grew as Marcos Kremer was sin-binned for repeated infringements. In a tense second half, both sides traded penalties before Damian Penaud ignited the crowd with a determined try, capitalizing on a smart cross-kick from Matthieu Jalibert. Just a minute later, Bautista Delguy struck back immediately for Clermont, reducing the gap to four points. Despite late pressure, UBB’s defense held firm, forcing Clermont to settle for a last-minute penalty from Benjamin Urdapilleta to secure a losing bonus point.
UNION BORDEAUX-BÈGLES
- Tries: Falatea (16’), Tameifuna (42’), Penaud (63’)
- Conversions: Jalibert (44’, 64’)
- Penalties: Jalibert (61’)
ASM CLERMONT
- Tries: Fainga’a (20’), Delguy (64’)
- Conversions: Urdapilleta (65’)
- Penalties: Urdapilleta (48’, 80’)
STANDING AFTER ROUND 17
That wraps up Round 17 of the Top 14. With the race for the playoffs intensifying and teams battling for survival, every match is becoming more crucial.
What did you think of this weekend’s action? Which team impressed you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
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