European champions Toulon moved to the summit of the French Top 14 table with a crushing nine-try victory over promoted Oyonnax on Saturday.
English legend Jonny Wilkinson scored a rare try and finished with a personal haul of 24 points in the 64-10 victory over Oyonnax, for whom Jody Daniel Jenneker was sent off just before the break.
Earlier, a last-gasp try from Fijian wing Metuiselau Talebula denied Clermont a losing bonus point that would have kept them clear at the top as they lost 26-16 at Bordeaux-Begles.
But it was in Toulon where home fans were treated to a festival of tries.
Even before Jenneker’s dismissal for a dangerous tackle on 38 minutes, Toulon were in total control, leading 31-3 after tries from Maxime Mermoz, Wilkinson, Australian Drew Mitchell and Rudi Wulf.
In the second half, the one-way traffic continued as Matt Giteau got his name on the scoresheet alongside David Smith, Mitchell again, Benjamin Noirot and Mathieu Bastareaud.
The biggest surprise of the second period was a try from Oyonnax’s Lucas Amorosino, although by then Toulon had already passed the 50-point barrier.
It’s been a remarkable turnaround for Toulon who were outside the top six play-off picture following a third straight defeat at the end of January when they lost 23-10 at Brive.
Yet four consecutive victories later and Bernard Laporte’s team are now top on merit.
Clermont were caught out by their desperate late attempts to win a match that had slowly been slipping away from them.
Trailing by just three points, they attacked from inside their own half with fly-half Brock James chipping a ball over the top of Bordeaux’s backline.
Aurelien Rougerie failed to gather the bouncing ball, though, and Bordeaux struck quickly with Talebula finding a gap in the midfield to dart through and under the posts.
The 22-year-old had scored Bordeaux’s first try as well to help push the club into the play-off picture, although they are ninth and five points off the top six.
Clermont, who were missing several key players such as injured Wesley Fofana and Napolioni Nalaga as well as the suspended Morgan Parra, opened the scoring in the ninth minute through a James penalty.
The first try came when Lee Byrne and Sitiveni Sivivatu began a counter-attack from inside their 22 and eventually Elvis Vermeulen — in his 13th and final season with Clermont — went over in the right hand corner for the five points.
James landed a brilliant conversion to make it 13-6 but Pierre Bernard reduced the deficit on the stroke of half-time with his third penalty.
The hosts went ahead six minutes into the second-half as Talebula kicked the ball between two Clermont defenders and touched down for his 11th try of the season.
Bernard converted for 16-13 before Talebula had the final say two minutes from time.
Toulouse bounced back from their recent indifferent form and five straight defeats to Perpignan before ending that sorry streak in spectacular fashion with a 37-9 success at the Ernest-Wallon stadium.
Toulouse moved up to fifth after five tries, starting with a penalty try and then further scores from Jaba Bregvadze, Yacouba Camara, Vincent Clerc and Gael Fickou.
That pushed Racing-Metro out of the top six despite their crucial 25-15 win over reigning champions Castres, who drop to sixth.
Two tries from Juan Imhoff made the difference for the Parisians, for whom coaching duo Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit were facing the team they led to the title last season.
Grenoble’s play-off hopes continued to suffer as they were thrashed 31-6 at Brive, just a week after a shocking home defeat to rock-bottom Biarritz.
Grenoble are now 10th and dropping fast having been in the top six at the start of play.