Round 25 of the 2025 Top 14 season delivered decisive performances as teams fought for playoff spots and survival.
Toulouse were clinical at home, Clermont and Castres scored statement wins, and Montpellier shocked Racing 92 with a last-minute penalty. Pau and La Rochelle both claimed bonus-point victories to stay in the hunt, while Toulon edged UBB in a physical battle at Mayol.
- Clermont 55 – 20 Stade Français
- Castres 33 – 3 Bayonne
- Racing 92 25 – 27 Montpellier
- Vannes 26 – 52 Pau
- La Rochelle 38 – 15 Perpignan
- Toulouse 43 – 3 Lyon
- Toulon 27 – 10 Union Bordeaux-Bègles
Here are all the match recaps and highlights from Round 25:
CLERMONT ROARS BACK WITH SEVEN-TRY SECOND HALF TO CRUSH STADE FRANÇAIS
Clermont 55 – 20 Stade Français (HT: 6–17)
Clermont staged a remarkable second-half turnaround at the Stade Marcel-Michelin, scoring seven tries after the break to claim a 55–20 bonus-point victory over Stade Français and revive their Top 6 playoff hopes. Trailing 6–17 at halftime and plagued by handling errors and discipline issues, ASM came alive through the brilliance of scrum-half Baptiste Jauneau and a dominant forward effort. Paris started brighter, taking an early lead through three penalties from Henry and a gift of a try for Marchant after a Clermont mistake. Urdapilleta responded with two penalties, but Clermont looked flat and imprecise, entering halftime down by 11 points. Everything changed after the break. Jauneau injected tempo, serving Simone for the first try before orchestrating multiple scores with tactical kicks and quick ball. Raka, Sowakula, Belleau, Newsome, and Fouyssac all crossed in a dazzling display of attacking rugby. Paris, ravaged by injuries and unable to withstand the onslaught, folded completely in the final quarter.
CLERMONT
- Tries: Simone (46’), Delguy (57’) Raka (63’), Sowakula (69’), Belleau (75’), Newsome (76’), Fouyssac (80’)
- Conversions: Urdapilleta (47’, 58’, 64’, 70’), Belleau (76’, 77’, 80’)
- Penalties: Urdapilleta (23’, 32’)
STADE FRANÇAIS
- Tries: Marchant (17’)
- Penalties: Henry (8’, 21’, 27’, 40’, 55’)
CASTRES DOMINATE BAYONNE TO BOOST PLAYOFF CHANCES WITH BONUS-POINT WIN
Castres 33 – 3 Bayonne (HT: 11–3)
Castres Olympique kept their Top 14 playoff hopes alive with a commanding 33–3 bonus-point victory over Bayonne at Stade Pierre-Fabre. After a slow start marked by disallowed tries on both sides, Castres took control late in the first half and never looked back, scoring four tries in total—including a brace from the electric Nathanaël Hulleu. Bayonne opened the scoring through a Joris Segonds penalty, but their discipline quickly unraveled, conceding nine first-half penalties. Castres capitalized as Hulleu finished off a sensational 80-meter move to ignite the home crowd. A penalty from Le Brun sent the hosts into the break with an 11–3 lead. The second half belonged entirely to the Tarn side. Former Bayonne winger Rémy Baget struck early after a dominant scrum, and Fernandez added three points from the tee. With Capilla sent to the bin, Castres turned the screws. Baptiste Cope powered over for a third try before Hulleu intercepted a loose pass to seal the bonus point. The win moves Castres within touching distance of a playoff berth, while Bayonne must regroup ahead of a crucial clash with Toulon.
CASTRES
- Tries: Hulleu (27’, 75’), Baget (43’), Cope (67’)
- Conversions: Fernandez (67’, 75’)
- Penalties: Dumora (26’), Le Brun (36’), Fernandez (52’)
BAYONNE
- Penalties: Segonds (9’)
MONTPELLIER STUN RACING 92 IN PARIS WITH LAST-MINUTE BOUTHIER PENALTY
Racing 92 25 – 27 Montpellier (HT: 15–7)
Montpellier kept their Champions Cup hopes alive with a dramatic 27–25 comeback win over Racing 92 at Paris La Défense Arena, spoiling a farewell night for several Racing stalwarts including Henry Chavancy. Down to 14 men after Billy Vunipola’s red card late in the first half, the visitors showed remarkable resilience, clinching victory through a 78th-minute penalty from Anthony Bouthier. Racing struck early in emotional fashion as Chavancy scored just two minutes in on his final home appearance, converted by Nolann Le Garrec. Montpellier answered quickly through Jordan Uelese before Vunipola’s sending off swung momentum. The hosts took advantage with a brilliant counterattack finished by Le Garrec, giving Racing an 8-point lead at the break. Montpellier came out firing in the second half despite their disadvantage. Powerful tries from Louis Picamoles Tauleigne and youngster Akrab pushed them ahead. Le Garrec’s boot kept Racing in touch, and when Fabien Baudonne powered over in the 72nd minute, the home side looked set to seal the win. But Bouthier stepped up late to steal it, silencing the Parisian crowd and keeping Montpellier’s season alive.
RACING 92
- Tries: Chavancy (2’), Le Garrec (37’), Baudonne (72’)
- Conversions: Le Garrec (3’, 73’)
- Penalties: Le Garrec (24’, 47’)
MONTPELLIER
- Tries: Uelese (10’), Tauleigne (52’), Akrab (61’)
- Conversions: Coly (10’, 52’), Bouthier (61’)
- Penalties: Bouthier (66’, 78’)
PAU PILE ON THE PAIN AS VANNES STARE DOWN RELEGATION
Vannes 26 – 52 Pau (HT: 12–17)
Pau kept their Top 6 hopes alive with a ruthless second-half performance to crush Vannes 52–26 and leave the Breton club on the brink of relegation from the Top 14. After a competitive first half, the visitors ran riot in the second, scoring six tries and claiming a bonus-point win to move up to 8th in the standings. Vannes got off to a dream start with an early try from Mathieu Uhila after sustained pressure (4’), but Pau answered immediately through Lucas Brau-Boirie before Émilien Gailleton added another to turn the tide. Maxime Lafage’s boot briefly brought Vannes back into it, but Joe Simmonds closed the half with a penalty for a narrow Pau lead. The second half was all Pau. A perfectly weighted Simmonds cross-kick set up Jack Maddocks, who offloaded to Hewat for a try (46’), and from there, Pau’s attack proved unstoppable. Gailleton crossed again, followed by Théo Attisogbe, Thomas Jolmès, and Hugo Souverbie, who capped the bonus-point performance in stoppage time. Vannes could only respond with a John Porch try, but their hopes of survival now rest on a final-round miracle against European champions Bordeaux-Bègles.
VANNES
- Tries: Uhila (4’), Lafage (20’), Porch (61’), Kite (77’)
- Conversions: Lafage (4’, 61’, 77’)
PAU
- Tries: Brau-Boirie (8’), Gailleton (15’, 57’), Hewat (47’), Attisogbe (65’), Jolmès (72’), Souverbie (80’)
- Conversions: Simmonds (9’, 16’, 48’, 58’, 66’, 73’, 80’)
- Penalties: Simmonds (39’)
LA ROCHELLE SURGE LATE TO CRUSH PERPIGNAN AND CLAIM BONUS WIN
La Rochelle 38 – 15 Perpignan (HT: 17–12)
La Rochelle claimed their fifth consecutive Top 14 victory and second straight bonus-point win with a 38–15 triumph over Perpignan at a packed Stade Marcel-Deflandre. Despite an early scare and the loss of captain Grégory Alldritt to injury, the home side accelerated in the final quarter to overpower a spirited but fading Perpignan team. Perpignan started brightly with a Tommaso Allan penalty after a dominant breakdown from Posolo Tuilagi (6’), but Tawera Kerr-Barlow replied quickly with a powerful finish after support from Alldritt and Skelton (8’). Allan’s boot kept USAP in touch as La Rochelle struggled with discipline and lost their captain early on. Still, a second try from Kerr-Barlow gave the hosts a narrow halftime lead. Perpignan edged closer early in the second half after another Tuilagi turnover (42’), but the floodgates opened after Paul Boudehent’s yellow card. Even with 14 men, La Rochelle’s bench brought fresh energy. Tries from Bourgarit (53’), Paiva (68’), and Leyds (77’) sealed the bonus point and a memorable farewell for departing stars Brice Dulin and Kerr-Barlow. Perpignan now face a must-win final round against Toulouse to avoid relegation danger.
LA ROCHELLE
- Tries: Kerr-Barlow (8’, 30’), Bourgarit (52’), Paiva (68’), Leyds (77’)
- Conversions: Hastoy (9’, 31’, 53’, 69’, 78’)
PERPIGNAN
- Penalties: Allan (6’, 26’, 36’, 40’, 42’)
TOULOUSE RUNS SEVEN TRIES PAST LYON IN CLINICAL DISPLAY AT ERNEST-WALLON
Toulouse 43 – 3 Lyon (HT: 17–3)
Toulouse returned to winning ways with a dominant 43–3 win over Lyon on Sunday evening, putting on a complete performance at home with seven unanswered tries. The hosts were ruthless from the start and maintained intensity throughout, while Lyon failed to pose any real threat. The match opened with Julien Marchand powering over following sustained team pressure, before Romain Ntamack ghosted through for a second shortly after. Santiago Chocobares added a third try before halftime, as Toulouse led 17–3, with Lyon’s only points coming via a penalty from Léo Meliande. Toulouse accelerated further in the second half. Thibaud Flament finished off a fluid attack, followed by classy tries from Pita Ahki, Jack Willis, and Juan Cruz Mallía. Their defense remained flawless, shutting down every Lyon attack with clinical organization and physical dominance. Ugo Mola’s side rotated their bench late on, conserving energy without losing control. Lyon, meanwhile, looked overwhelmed and ineffective, struggling to break the gainline or contain Toulouse’s attacking waves. The win cements Toulouse’s position near the top of the table, while Lyon’s away struggles continue.
TOULOUSE
- Tries: Marchand (15’), Ntamack (17’), Chocobares (24’), Flament (45’), Ahki (60’), Willis (65’), Mallía (78’)
- Conversions: Ramos (18’, 46’, 61’, 79’)
LYON
- Penalties: Meliande (23’)
TOULON OVERPOWERS UBB AT MAYOL BUT MISSES CRUCIAL BONUS POINT
Toulon 27 – 10 Union Bordeaux-Bègles (HT: 20–10)
Toulon bounced back from three consecutive defeats with a convincing 27–10 victory over European champions Bordeaux-Bègles in a fiery clash at Stade Mayol. Backed by a packed home crowd, the Var side put in a commanding performance but fell short of securing the offensive bonus point, a miss that could prove costly in the race for a Top 14 semifinal spot. UBB struck early through a penalty from Joey Carbery and a try by Van Rensburg after a rare Toulon backfield error (0–10, 6’). But the hosts responded with urgency—Thomas Jaminet opened Toulon’s account from the tee, and Jiuta Wainiqolo’s explosive try soon leveled the scores (10–10). Jaminet added another penalty before Wainiqolo returned with a moment of magic, collecting a chip over the top and slicing through defenders to score a brilliant solo try (20–10, 25’). Despite dominating possession and showing flashes of attacking intent in the second half, Toulon struggled to convert chances into points. Leicester Fainga’anuku finally crashed over from a close-range scrum move to stretch the lead (27–10, 71’), but late opportunities went begging. Bordeaux-Bègles, visibly fatigued after their European triumph, lacked sharpness and struggled to match Toulon’s intensity. While Toulon regains momentum ahead of a crucial trip to Bayonne, UBB must now refocus to secure a home semifinal, with Vannes awaiting in Round 26.
TOULON
- Tries: Wainiqolo (15’, 25’), Fainga’anuku (71’)
- Conversions: Jaminet (16’, 26’, 72’)
- Penalties: Jaminet (9’, 22’)
UNION BORDEAUX-BÈGLES
- Tries: Van Rensburg (6’)
- Conversions: Carbery (7’)
- Penalties: Carbery (5’)
STANDINGS AFTER ROUND 15
With just one round remaining, the playoff picture is tightening and the battle to avoid relegation is going down to the wire.
Stay tuned for full Round 26 coverage as the regular season reaches its final chapter.
Who impressed you most in Round 25? Drop your thoughts in the comments and let’s talk rugby.
If you enjoyed this recap, don’t forget to:
- Like and share this post with fellow rugby fans
- Bookmark the blog to stay updated on the next rounds
- Follow @gopeakrugby on X and Facebook and subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more rugby analysis, match recaps, and insights
