Uini Atonio is a doubt for France’s opening Six Nations match against Ireland after withdrawing from La Rochelle’s squad minutes before their 32-27 Top 14 defeat at Clermont.
The tighthead had been due to start at Stade Marcel Michelin, but suffered a suspected intercostal tear during warm-up, according to broadcaster Canal Plus, and joined 16 other players filling up the Rochelais’ infirmary, including Will Skelton and Nolann Le Garrec.
Worse was to follow for France coach Fabien Galthie, when Paul Boudehent was replaced by Oscar Jegou at half-time after suffering a back injury.
Despite the pre-match disruption, Ronan O’Gara’s side started the brighter. With the manager watching the first half from the coaches’ booth — perhaps wisely, given the game was refereed by Jeremy Rozier, who was in charge when he was sent to the stands at Pau in November — Levani Botia blasted over from close range in the 12th minute after Gregory Alldritt had taken the visitors close to the tryline with a quick tap penalty.
Hero turned villain, however, 20 minutes later. La Rochelle were doubly punished when Botia collapsed a Clermont-special motoring maul a metre from his own line. A penalty try and yellow card were equally inevitable.
Worse for the visitors followed, as first Harry Plummer and then Joris Jurand scored in the next five minutes to take Clermont out to a 25-10 halftime lead.
Clermont had already been held-up over the line early in the second period, shortly after the visitors’ Judicael Cancoriet was sin-binned, when another lineout maul crashed over to extend their lead.
But Antoine Hastoy and then Alldritt both scored to drag O’Gara’s side — the manager now on the touchline — back to within eight points with just over 15 minutes left on the clock.
Clermont, however, were able to halt the fightback in its tracks, despite having two players sent to the sidelines in the closing minutes.
Earlier on Sunday, freshly called-up winger Gael Drean pressed his case for a first international cap with a sumptuous arcing solo try as Toulon beat Montpellier 30-27 in a thoroughly entertaining match that had been postponed 23 hours due to a storm warning in the Var.
On Saturday, Matthieu Jalibert scored a highlight-reel try of his own but could not carry a rotated and misfiring Bordeaux, as Stade Francais overtook them in the table with a well-deserved 28-33 victory in a nine-try thriller at Stade Chaban Delmas.
An equal spread of eight tries at La Defense Arena, as Racing 92 came from 13-24 down after 50 minutes to win 35-34 on the whistle, courtesy of a late Antoine Gibert penalty. Australian hooker Taniela Tupou scored twice for the home side, taking his tally to four in three since his debut on December 27.
Tries elsewhere were fewer and further between on Saturday afternoon, as dismal late January weather made handling a lottery.
But Perpignan scored four in a Catalan downpour — veteran Peceli Yato getting two of them — as they stole a march on opponents and increasingly distant relegation-zone rivals Montauban, with a bonus-point 31-8 win.
After their historic first-ever Champions Cup victory over Munster in Limerick, Castres made it back-to-back wins on the road with a breathlessly low-scoring and hard-fought 10-13 victory at Bayonne to end the Basque side’s unbeaten 21-match unbeaten home run in the Top 14, and pile the pressure on coach Gregory Patat.
Toulouse made a mockery of the top-two battle against Pau at Stade Ernest Wallon, scoring nine tries to the visitors’ three to bag a 59-22 bonus-point victory and open up a lead at the top of the table.