23 October 2009: Bayonne 6 Castres 15. Five kicks from Cameron McIntyre send Castres to the top of the table, but a sterile Bayonne look set for a relegation battle

Castres are beginning to like the Basque country. After their shock opening day victory at Biarritz, les Castrais visited Stade Jean-Dauger and not only came away with a win that ended Bayonne's 100 per cent home record, but put themselves three points clear at the top of the Top 14. Latest league table

Cameron McIntyre did the damage for Castres in a match that was tight but rarely exciting, partly due to the rain-sodden pitch and partly because of the visitors' safety-first approach that forced Bayonne into making basic mistakes and conceding too many penalties in their own half.

The Basques also had chances to put some points on the board but the wayward kicking of Benat Arrayet and later Manny Edmonds even cost them a bonus point - Arrayet missed two in three minutes shortly before half-time to send the teams in all-square to the deafening sound of boos and whistles from all around the newly expanded stadium.

Bayonne had been on top towards the end of the first half, Craig Gower tying the scores at six-all on the half-hour mark with a 40-metre drop goal after Arrayet had kicked a penalty in response to McIntyre's 11th minute opener. The kiwi outside-half added another penalty on 25 minutes, although he was guilty of a couple of misses himself as every visit into the Bayonne half was rewarded with a penalty to Castres.

Bayonne's indiscipline continued after the break, McIntyre kicking his third penalty after Castres' pack had shoved the home scrum to the point of infringement. Arrayet missed another kick shortly after to make Bayonnais shoulders drop further - McIntyre kicked his fourth penalty on the hour, Bayonne's frustration showing from the subsequent restart as Gower kicked the ball straight into touch.

Three minutes later captain Remy Martin was caught offside, and McIntyre was eventually awarded his fifth penalty of the night, the referee calling on the video ref to determine whether the very high place kick had gone inside or just right over the posts. It wasn't all that clear, but typical of Bayonne's increasingly depressing night, the three points were given.

Seemingly waking up to the fact that they wouldn't even have a bonus point to show for their night, Bayonne finally put an attack together, winger Benjamin Fall breaking downfield followed by Filimone Bolavucu, only for Craig Gower's grubber kick to roll into touch.

There was a chance of redemption with two minutes on the clock, but Manny Edmonds - in what looks like his last season at the club and indeed in the sport - missed a penalty from right in front of the posts, and when Remy Martin knocked on in the next movement, a long, depressing night had finally come to an end for a Bayonne side which could be in the relegation zone come Saturday night, and which is showing none of the fire that took the club to the verge of the Heineken Cup last season.

Castres, without the injured Alexandre Albouy, Carl Hoeft and Michael Coetzee for the night, go to the top of the pile, perhaps only temporarily, but their progress since finishing 12th last season has been spectacular under coached Laurent Travers and Laurent Labit. It wasn't pretty, but their solid game forced Bayonne into mistakes and indiscipline. Their next four games see them face Perpignan, Clermont, Toulouse and Biarritz - only then will we know if Castres really are contenders for the French Championship.

Read our report on Castres' form this season