Round 24 of the 2025 Top 14 season delivered high-stakes drama across France as teams fought for playoff positions, home-field advantage, and survival.
From Racing’s shocking upset in Toulouse to UBB’s narrow escape before the Champions Cup final, the weekend featured last-minute heroics, hat-tricks, red cards, and critical bonus points that shook up the standings with just two rounds to go.
- Union Bordeaux-Bègles 34 – 29 Castres
- Clermont 31 – 13 Perpignan
- Bayonne 38 – 32 Vannes
- Pau 25 – 21 Toulon
- Stade Français 31 – 30 Lyon
- Toulouse 35 – 37 Racing 92
- La Rochelle 47 – 18 Montpellier
Here are all the match recaps and highlights from Round 24:
UBB SURVIVE CASTRES SCARE TO CLINCH VITAL WIN AHEAD OF CHAMPIONS CUP FINAL
Union Bordeaux-Bègles 34 – 29 Castres Olympique (HT: 29–14)
Union Bordeaux-Bègles tightened their grip on second place in the Top 14 with a nervy 34–29 victory over Castres at Chaban-Delmas, but the performance will give head coach Yannick Bru plenty to ponder ahead of next weekend’s Champions Cup final against Northampton. After falling behind 14–0, UBB produced a flurry of first-half tries to surge ahead, only to let the visitors back into the contest late and nearly throw away a five-try lead. Castres struck twice in the opening quarter with brutal efficiency. First, Santiago Arata exploited a gap around the ruck to dive under the posts, and moments later, Mathieu Babillot finished off a counter-attack sparked by Antoine Baget and Filipo Nakosi to make it 14–0. But UBB responded through Romain Buros’ 80m effort, followed quickly by tries from Maxime Lucu, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, and a brilliant team try finished by Matthieu Jalibert after a clever chip. When Sa powered over from a driving maul early in the second half, Bordeaux looked home and dry at 34–14. But Castres came roaring back. Gaëtan Barlot crossed after a powerful maul, and Julien Dumora intercepted a loose pass to send Ben Chabouni under the posts. A late penalty closed the gap to five points, but a final crooked lineout throw inside Bordeaux’s 22 denied Castres a famous comeback. The result keeps UBB second in the standings and sends them to London next week with a win under their belt—but far from full confidence. Castres, meanwhile, take home a valuable defensive bonus point as they remain in the race for the top six.
UNION BORDEAUX-BÈGLES
- Tries: Buros (18’), Lucu (22’), Bielle-Biarrey (30’), Jalibert (36’), Sa (46’)
- Conversions: Jalibert (19’, 23’, 37’)
- Penalties: Jalibert (29’)
CASTRES OLYMPIQUE
- Tries: Arata (2’), Babillot (14’), Barlot (63’), Chabouni (70’)
- Conversions: Le Brun (3’, 15’, 71’)
- Penalties: Fernandez (76’)
CLERMONT POWER PAST PERPIGNAN TO KEEP PLAY-OFF HOPES ALIVE AT MARCEL-MICHELIN
Clermont 31 – 13 Perpignan (HT: 10–3)
Clermont secured a vital bonus-point victory with a 31–13 win over Perpignan in a tense and scrappy Top 14 encounter on Saturday, moving temporarily into the top six and keeping their qualification hopes very much alive with just two rounds remaining. Tries from Alivereti Raka and a brace from the electric Irae Simone, along with a penalty try, saw the Jaunards overcome a disjointed first half to pull away after the break. Perpignan, ill-disciplined and outmuscled, had no answer despite a try from Dubois and the early boot of Jake Delpy. Perpignan had started brightly with a penalty from Ben Volavola stand-in Tommaso Allan, but their momentum unravelled after two yellow cards in quick succession to McIntyre and Duguivalu. Clermont capitalized with Raka’s opening try before the break, then stepped up their tempo in the second half. Simone touched down after a clever offload from Bautista Delguy, then was instrumental again when Naqalevu’s infringement led to a penalty try and a yellow card. Perpignan showed fight with Dubois crashing over after multiple scrum phases, but Simone’s sensational break in the 80th minute capped off the bonus point and a resounding win.
CLERMONT
- Tries: Raka (39’), Simone (49’, 79’), Penalty Try (53’)
- Conversions: Urdapilleta (40’, 50’, 80’)
- Penalties: Urdapilleta (34’)
PERPIGNAN
- Tries: Dubois (62’)
- Conversions: Delpy (63’)
- Penalties: Allan (12’), Delpy (43’)
BAYONNE SURVIVE VANNES SCARE TO STAY UNBEATEN AT HOME AND CLOSE IN ON HOME PLAYOFF BERTH
Bayonne 38 – 32 Vannes (HT: 19–25)
Bayonne extended their perfect home record with a thrilling 38–32 comeback victory over Vannes in a 10-try Top 14 spectacle at Stade Jean-Dauger. Despite being outplayed for much of the first half, the hosts clawed back control after the break to take a vital win that moves them closer to a home tie in the Top 14 play-offs. Vannes shocked the crowd with a try straight from the kickoff by Salesi Rayasi, but Bayonne responded quickly through a brilliant solo try by Sireli Maqala. The match then turned scrappy as Camille Lopez and Tevita Tatafu both exited injured for Bayonne, while Vannes pushed ahead through a Lafage penalty and a try from Francis Saili. Rayasi added a second before the break, punishing a disjointed Bayonne side, although Federico Mori’s try on the siren kept the hosts in it at 19–25. The second half was a different story. Tom Spring scored after a fluid backline move, before creating another for Cheikh Tiberghien with a brilliant break. Vannes, drained and down to 14 men following a yellow card for Francisco Gorrisen, struggled to contain the Basque surge. Mori’s second try gave Bayonne a 38–25 lead. Phil Kite, on his 150th appearance, scored late to bring Vannes within striking distance, but despite a frantic five-minute final possession, Bayonne held on.
BAYONNE
- Tries: Maqala (5’), Rouet (21’), Mori (40’, 70’), Spring (54’), Tiberghien (65’)
- Conversions: Lopez (6’), Segonds (40’, 55’, 66’)
VANNES
- Tries: Rayasi (1’, 37’), Saili (32’), Kite (74’)
- Conversions: Lafage (2’, 33’), Debaes (75’)
- Penalties: Lafage (19’, 23’)
PAU HOLD OFF TOULON SURGE TO STAY IN TOP 6 HUNT
Pau 25 – 21 Toulon (HT: 20–0)
Pau delivered a composed and clinical first-half performance before surviving a late Toulon rally to secure a vital 25–21 win at Stade du Hameau, keeping their hopes of a Top 14 play-off spot alive. The Béarnais surged to a 20–0 lead at the break and extended it to 25–0 shortly after the interval, only for Toulon to roar back with three unanswered tries, falling just short in a tense finish. The match began with Toulon denied a try inside 40 seconds due to a marginal forward pass from Wainiqolo, and Pau quickly capitalized. Following a misfired Toulon lineout, the home side powered forward with direct carries before Guram Kaulashvili crashed over (7–0, 9’). Thibault Daubagna added a long-range penalty (10–0), and moments later, a slick strike play from a scrum saw Émilien Gailleton score under the posts after a clean line break by Brau-Boirie (17–0, 26’). Simmonds’ penalty on the stroke of halftime gave Pau a commanding 20–0 lead. The second half saw more of the same early on, as Daubagna took advantage of a lineout near Toulon’s 22 to set up Tumua Manu, who stepped inside Biggar and scored (25–0, 50’). Toulon, however, sparked to life through their bench. Melvyn Jaminet finished a wide move launched by Louis Hervé and Gabin Villière (25–7, 56’), and on the restart, Villière himself broke down the left to score again (25–14, 58’). After Pau’s Hugo Seneca was sin-binned (73’), Toulon struck through Kyle Sinckler, who finished off a brutal carry by Facundo Isa (25–21, 75’). Despite the momentum swinging hard in Toulon’s favour, Pau controlled possession in the dying minutes to seal a precious victory.
PAU
- Tries: Kaulashvili (9’), Gailleton (25’), Manu (48’)
- Conversions: Simmonds (10’, 26’)
- Penalties: Daubagna (13’, 39’)
TOULON
- Tries: Jaminet (55’), Villière (57’), Sinckler (75’)
- Conversions: Jaminet (56’, 58’, 76’)
STADE FRANÇAIS SNATCH LAST-MINUTE WIN OVER LOU TO ESCAPE DANGER ZONE
Stade Français 31 – 30 Lyon (HT: 14–17)
Stade Français mounted a sensational comeback to edge Lyon 31–30 at Stade Jean-Bouin, surviving a brutal start and clinching the win with a clutch penalty from Zack Henry just two minutes from time. In a thrilling contest with multiple lead changes, the Parisians—semi-finalists last season—escaped the relegation play-off zone, while Lyon suffered a bitter blow in their push for a Top 6 spot. Lyon came out firing and dominated the opening quarter. A penalty from Léo Berdeu (0–3, 6’) was quickly followed by tries from Ruan Botha (9’) and Vincent Rattez (20’) to silence the home crowd and give the visitors a commanding 15–0 lead. Paris looked rattled, especially after Etien’s yellow card, but the tide turned with a burst of energy. Stade Français responded through Nicotera (24’) and Sekou Macalou (28’), narrowing the gap to 14–17 by halftime despite Lyon’s early dominance. The second half began with Berdeu adding another penalty (14–20, 44’), but the hosts surged ahead through tries from Paul Alo-Emile (49’) and the outstanding Jeremy Ward (57’), making it 28–20. Lyon, however, would not go away. Baptiste Couilloud made an immediate impact off the bench, slicing through to score a brilliant solo try (55’), before Berdeu added a late penalty (72’) to regain the lead at 30–28. But Jean-Bouin had one final roar left. A penalty in the 78th minute handed Henry the opportunity to win it—and he delivered under immense pressure. In the dying seconds, Berdeu attempted a dramatic drop goal, but the ball clipped the post, and Paris escaped with a season-defining victory.
STADE FRANÇAIS
- Tries: Nicotera (24’), Macalou (28’), Alo-Emile (49’), Ward (57’)
- Conversions: Henry (25’, 29’, 50’, 58’)
- Penalties: Henry (78’)
LYON
- Tries: Botha (9’), Rattez (20’), Couilloud (55’)
- Conversions: Berdeu (10’, 21’, 56’)
- Penalties: Berdeu (6’, 44’, 72’)
RACING 92 SHOCK TOULOUSE AT ERNEST-WALLON TO SECURE SURVIVAL AND IGNITE PLAYOFF PUSH
Toulouse 35 – 37 Racing 92 (HT: 14–23)
Racing 92 delivered one of their most impressive performances of the season as they edged Top 14 leaders Toulouse 37–35 in a high-octane thriller at Ernest-Wallon. The win not only ensured their survival in the league but also reignited hopes of reaching the Top 6 with two rounds to go. Despite multiple yellow cards, the Parisians showed composure, power, and opportunism to stun a much-changed but still dangerous Toulouse side. Toulouse struck first through Juan Cruz Mallía, who pounced on a loose ball after a disrupted lineout to score the opening try (14’). Racing responded swiftly when scrum-half Kenta Saito marshaled a quick attack that finished with Nolann Le Garrec slicing through the edge to score (18’). A string of Toulouse penalties allowed Tristan Tedder to edge Racing ahead with the boot, before Teddy Tarrit crossed from a maul just before the break, taking full advantage of a yellow card to Emmanuel Meafou (38’). Despite four yellow cards across the match, Racing refused to buckle. Toulouse closed the gap in the second half through a penalty try awarded after a high tackle by Habosi and another try by Jack Willis at the back of a maul (65’), leveling the game at 28–30. But Racing responded yet again — Gaël Fickou dotted down after Josua Tuisova drew in multiple defenders and created space (54’). The decisive moment came late as Henry Spring gathered a clever grubber from Nolann Le Garrec to score Racing’s fourth try (78’). Toulouse clawed back a losing bonus point with a last-gasp effort from Guillaume Cramont (80’), but Racing had already sealed the win. The Parisians now sit just two points off the Top 6, while Toulouse — already assured of first place — will look to rebound in the playoffs.
TOULOUSE
- Tries: Mallía (14’), Barassi (21’), Penalty Try (50’), Willis (64’), Cramont (80’)
- Conversions: Mallía (15’ 22’, 65, 80’)
RACING 92
- Tries: Le Garrec (18’), Tarrit (37’), Fickou (53’), Spring (78’)
- Conversions: Le Garrec (19, 38’, 54’, 79’)
- Penalties: Le Garrec (6’, 23’, 27’)
LA ROCHELLE CRUSH MONTPELLIER TO CLAIM BONUS-POINT WIN AND CLIMB INTO TOP FIVE
La Rochelle 47 – 18 Montpellier (HT: 23–8)
La Rochelle extended their red-hot form with a commanding 47–18 bonus-point victory over Montpellier at Stade Marcel-Deflandre, sealing their fourth straight Top 14 win and climbing provisionally into fifth place. The hosts were dominant from start to finish, outscoring their visitors six tries to two in a match defined by Antoine Hastoy’s control and flawless kicking from the tee. Montpellier opened the scoring with a slick move from Léo Coly and Moustin, but their early spark quickly faded as La Rochelle took hold of the contest. Jack Nowell ignited the comeback with a try after combining with Dillyn Leyds, and Paiva powered over for the second. Hastoy added three penalties and a well-taken drop goal on the stroke of half-time to put the hosts 23–8 ahead. Montpellier’s indiscipline continued into the second half with Billy Vunipola sent to the bin. Levani Botia capitalized from a rolling maul, and Leyds secured the bonus point minutes later after Hastoy’s clever double chip ahead. Montpellier were briefly handed a lifeline with a penalty try following foul play earlier in the move that denied Leyds a second, but Brice Dulin’s try on the buzzer—following another Nowell break—put the result beyond doubt and restored the five-try bonus. La Rochelle now head into the final two rounds with strong momentum and a chance to secure a home quarter-final. Montpellier, meanwhile, slip further behind the top six and face a must-win clash against Racing 92 in Round 25.
LA ROCHELLE
- Tries: Nowell (16’), Paiva (33’), Botia (58’), Leyds (64’), Dulin (80’)
- Conversions: Hastoy (17’, 34’, 59’, 65’, 80’)
- Penalties: Hastoy (6’, 37’, 52’)
- Drop goal: Hastoy (40’)
MONTPELLIER
- Tries: Moustin (3’), Penalty Try (70’)
- Penalties: Bouthier (20’, 45’)
(highlights coming soon)
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 24
With just two rounds remaining in the regular season, the Top 14 table is tighter than ever. Playoff contenders are jostling for position, mid-table teams are clinging to hope, and the relegation battle remains fierce.
Stay tuned for more weekly recaps as we head toward the final sprint of the 2025 season.
Who impressed you most in Round 24? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
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