22 August 2009: Toulouse, Clermont and Biarritz all join the thermometer in the high thirties, no-nonsense Castres win again, Toulon see off Racing and champions Perpignan lose a kicking contest at Montpellier

Toulon 27 Racing-Metro 13; Toulouse 38 Brive 0; Montpellier 18 Perpignan 12; Biarritz 39 Albi 6; Clermont 37 Montauban 16; Castres 29 Bourgoin 9

Toulon won the battle of the new recruits as the Vars team (17 summer signings) beat Racing-Metro of Paris (14 summer signings) 27-13 at Stade Felix-Mayol. And it was the Toulon new boys that stole the show, centre Jamie Robinson scoring the opening try just two minutes in, the welshman scoring his first try for his new club on their first attack of the day as big pass from Jonny Wilkinson put him clear.

Jonathan Wisniewski closed the gap but Wilkinson extended the Toulon lead with two penalties before setting up his side's second try, chipping over the Paris defence for winger Christian Loamanu to gather and feed veritable Mayol veteran Joe van Niekerk for the try. Wilkinson converted for an 18-6 half-time lead, and two more penalties in the second half extended that beyond reach - the Englishman kicked 14 points in all.

Andrea Masi scored a consolation try for the visitors on 65 minutes but Sebastien Fauqé re-established a two-score cushion six minutes from the end to give Toulon their first win of the season.

Brive literally went from heroes to zeroes as they followed up their big win over Montpellier with a 0-38 defeat at Toulouse - the first 'fanny' of this Top 14 campaign. Toulouse's back line turned on the style, Cedric Heymans scoring the first try on three minutes (just a minute after Jean-Baptiste Elissalde had kicked an early drop) after a defence-breaking move from Yann David.

Elissalde kicked two more penalties and another drop for a 19-0 half time lead, and although Brive started the second-half the brighter, having an early try shout ruled out by the video ref, Toulouse scored their second try. David was again the catalyst, making a brilliant 60-metre dash through, round and under the Brive defence before being brought down a few yards short of the line. But Byron Kelleher followed up and fed Maxime Medard for the full-back to trot over and score.

Sadly that was David's last act of the game, and Toulouse resisted Briviste pressure and rested on their 26-point lead until the final 10 minutes, when first Vincent Clerc followed up a great break from Kelleher and shook off two tackles to score in the corner, and then replacement centre Remy Lamerat latched onto a cross-field kick by Florien Fritz to step over the line, ground the ball and complete the rout. A true Toulousain performance from the 2008 champions, though they may be concerned about injuries to David and Medard.

Montpellier were woeful at Brive last week, so beating reigning champions Perpignan in a kicking contest must seem like lifting the Bouclier de Brennus itself. Young outside half Benoit Paillaugue kicked all 18 of the Herault side's points with five penalties and a 30-metre dropped goal, with David Mélé and Nicolas Laharrague sharing four penalties between them for the Catalans. A match full of indiscipline ended on a sour note for the visitors, whose full-back Phillip Burger was show the red card for giving the referee a mouthful after conceding a last-minute penalty. Obviously three years in France have improved the South African's language skills considerably.

Biarritz bounced back from defeat in altogether more convincing style, with a five-try, 39-6 win over relegated Albi. As at Toulon there was a British flavour to the scoreboard, Iain Balshaw bagging a first-half brace. The England international's first came following a Damien Traille break after eight minutes, while his second was an easy in-goal pop-down from Julien Peyrelongue's crossfield kick. Peyrelongue kicked two penalties and two conversions for les biarrots, whose second-half try hero was 18-year-old full back Paul Couet-Lannes. Starting his first Top 14 game for the Basques, the youngster received Balshaw's neat pass to cross on 56 minutes, and added his second at the death as he caught the Albi defence napping and grounded his own chipp-and-chase for Biarritz's fifth - the fourth was a 72nd minute penalty try awarded by the referee after no less than four minutes of 'Ritz pressure on the visitors' line.

Clermont gave notice of their continued ambition (to reach another final and throw it away - ed.) with a bonus-point 37-16 win over Montauban. Anthony Floch, Aurelien Rougerie and Brent Russell scored for les jaunards before full-back Julien Laharrague struck back for the visitors with a try on 54 minutes. But Clermont were not to be denied the bonus, and when replacement winger Wesley Fofana made a break on 76 minutes, full-back Floch was on hand to take the pass for his second try and Clermont's fourth. Brock James was on hand to score 14 points for Clermont, and Morgan Parra kicked his first points for the club with a 19th minute drop goal.

In the evening game, Castres followed up their stunning victory at Biarritz with a workmanlike home win over troubled Bourgoin. After swapping early penalties with the visitor's Benjamin Boyet, Castres fly-half Cameron McIntyre missed three kickable penalties before nailing two in the last 10 minutes of the half.

As the game approached half time and the home team took control, giant Samoan number eight Josefa Tekori - whose charges had been a frequent feature of the opening period - scored Castres' first try with a pick up from the back of the scrum, Sebastien Tillous-Borde drawing the Berjaillen back rown and Tekori's size and strength giving Bourgoin's remaining lightweight tacklers no chance.

After a fourth McIntyre penalty extended the lead after the break, Bourgoin put some attacks together but couldn't break through Castres' solid defence, and after 65 minutes only had Laloo's penalty to show for it - the kick was cancelled out by McIntyre's fifth two minutes later. With time ticking out, Castres finally scored a second, McIntyre's dash for the line being held up short and Argentine lock Rodrigo Capo Ortego charging over to complete a 29-9 victory.