Sexton back as Racing held by table toppers Clermont
PARIS: Fijian-winger Noa Nakaitaci produced a late try to earn Clermont a 13-13 draw against a Racing-Metro side starring Ireland’s returning f ly-half Jonathan Sexton on Saturday.
Back after a three-month break to recover from a spate of concussions Sexton had produced a show-stopping display in Ireland’s 18-11 defeat of France in the Six Nations last Saturday.
And the 29-year-old made his presence felt on his return to the Top 14, his two penalties and the conversion of winger Marc Andreu’s 55th minute try lifting the hosts to within seven minutes of victory.
But Nakaitaci, in France’s Six Nations squad, crossed in the 72nd minute, with Australian fly-half Brock James converting, after a brace of penalties from the boot of Les Bleus’ scrum-half Morgan Parra.
The 24-year-old Nakaitaci has played his senior club rugby in France since moving to Clermont from the Nadroga academy in his homeland in 2010.
The gutsy stalemate lifted Clermont top of the table by one point from Toulon.
The champions were undone in Saturday’s early game by a super brace of second-half tries by Fijian Metuisela Talebula which saw Bordeaux-Begles come from 11 points adrift to snatch a 28-23 win.
Stade Francais, a further point back in third, had their own chance of claiming the Top 14 summit. But Stade, missing banned France lock Pascal Pape, fell 23-6 at strugglers Bayonne.
Bordeaux’s victory, which saw the 23-year-old Fijian take his tally to seven tries for the season, consolidated their place in the top six, which guarantees a berth in the end of season play-offs.
It also strengthened the case for those who believe coach Raphael Ibanez would be the best candidate to replace Philippe Saint-Andre at the helm of the national side after the World Cup.
The hosts’ j oy was diluted however by the sight of Pierre Bernard limping off with a minute remaining with a knee injury which rules him out of France’s Six Nations match with Wales next weekend.
The sides were locked at 3-3 until Toulon’s Fijian youngster Josua Tuisova produced a moment of sheer magic in the 13th minute.
Appearing in only his second Top 14 game, head coach Bernard Laporte had not wanted to loan the 21-year-old out to gain greater experience at first team level, the wing looked trapped on the touchline but spun out of three tackles before cutting inside and totally burning former France fly-half Lionel Beauxis for pace to touch down.
Nicolas Sanchez converted for 10-3 but Bernard reduced the gap to four points with a penalty shortly afterwards.
Sanchez, who spent three seasons at Bordeaux without breaking through, slotted over another penalty i n the 23rd minute as the referee warned both sides they risked a yellow card if they continued to commit infringements.
The referee carried through with his threat by sin-binning Toulon’s Argentinian veteran back Juan Martin Hernandez and Bernard converted the penalty for 13-9.
However, Toulon it was who scored a try despite being a man down as Maxime Mermoz went over and Sanchez converted.
It was the hosts, though, who had the last laugh of the first-half thanks to a brilliant piece of work by Hugh Chalmers.
The New Zealander flanker tackled Delon Armitage -- making his first appearance since serving a two month suspension -- on the visitors tryline and the Englishman’s desperate pass to Sebastien Tillous-Borde fell short with the Bordeaux flanker reacting quickest to touch down -- Bernard converted to make it just 20-16.
Bordeaux regained the lead for the first time since the fifth minute as a superb long pass by hooker Ole Avei found their own Fijian star Talebula, who went over in the corner for his sixth try of the season and made it 21-20.
He doubled his tally soon afterwards and Bernard converted for 28-20.
Bordeaux looked to be easing to a memorable victory until Chalmers blotted his copybook by being yellow-carded with just under two minutes remaining -- Sanchez kicking the penalty to make it 2823.
Elsewhere, Toulouse, who rested their France internationals Thierry Dusautoir, Yoann Maestri and Yoann Huget, remained fifth but only after an unconvincing 2320 win over one-from-bottom of the table Lyon.
Castres continue to prop up the table after a 23-13 loss at Oyonnax. - AFP