Suka Hufanga's 80th-minute try earns a vital bonus point for our Federale 1 favourites, who go to Lourdes in three weeks needing a minor miracle to reach the play offs. Believe...

Le Bugue 38 Vallée du Girou 18: They left it late - very late - but Le Bugue remain in the play-off hunt after picking up a bonus point in their 38-18 victory over Vallée du Girou.

Tongan international centre Suka Hufanga was the hero of the hour-and-twenty, pulling les Chevalliers' fifth try out of the fire in the last move of the match. Le Bugue could have been out of sight by half time, winger Francois Beaugendre scoring the opening try just 90 seconds after kick-off and Fijian prop Naisake Tarogi adding a second after 16 minutes.

But like last week's victory over Oloron nerves got in the way and final passes dropped short or les Buguois lacked the lucky breaks that frankly haven't been theirs all season.

Charly Platek's 10th minute penalty gave Le Bugue a comfortable cushion, but Vallée's Gael Arandiga kicked two early penalties to keep the visitors in touch, and when their pack was bundled over the line on 24 minutes, the fly half converted for a 17-13 half-time scoreline.

The second-half was a nervous affair, and although Terry Fanolua bagged his fourth try of the season on 52 minutes, Vallée winger Christophe Cheval gallopped in for the visitors' second try four minutes later, leaving Le Bugue needing two scores for that all-important bonus point.

Platek made it four with his 72nd minute touchdown, but the fifth looked unlikely until Hufanga crossed at the death. The extra point means the play-offs are still in reach (see below), but if they fail to make the Trophée Jean-Prat, their tally of 27 points should give them a more comfortable passage through the play-downs that we were expecting just four rounds ago.

Second string: Le Bugue B 52 Vallée du Girou B 7. A win at Lourdes would lift the seconds off the bottom of the B-team table, though we're not sure what difference that would make.

Also in Pool 6: Perigueux 19 Graulhet 22; Langon 25 Lourdes 19.

Graulhet's surprise win at already-qualified Perigueux earns them a play-off place, leaving just one spot up for grabs between Langon (30pts), Oloron (28pts) and our own Le Bugue (27pts). There's a three-week break before the final round which sees Lourdes host Le Bugue, Langon welcome Perigueux and Oloron face Graulhet, but here's the lowdown:

• Tyrosse and Perigueux are first and second and into the play-offs, that can't change.
• Graulhet are through, only defeat at Oloron and a Langon win at Perigueux can bump them from third place to fourth.
• If Langon beat Perigueux at Langon, they go up with Graulhet.
• Oloron need to beat Graulhet and see Perigueux beat Langon to reach the play-offs.
• For Le Bugue to go through, they need to win at Lourdes and have Oloron not beat Graulhet AND Perigueux beat Langon.

Three away wins. C'est une grande ask!

Next up: Lourdes vs Le Bugue, Sunday February 20, Stade Antoine-Beguere. Stage 1 of Le Bugue's great escape will be to win at Lourdes. The eight-times French champions have had a disappointing season even by their own bland standards, and their faint hopes of reaching the play-off competition named after the club's greatest son Jean Prat went west with their 25-19 defeat at Langon.

As recently as December the team were lying third in the table, but successive defeats to Tyrosse, Perigueux and now Langon mean they can't finish higher than fifth. Injuries have taken their toll - outside-half Aurelien Laloo has been restricted to only six starts, and a lack of backup has unsettled the side. Another ray of hope for Les Chevalliers is Lourdes' unconvincing home form. They've lost to Tyrosse and Perigueux on their own patch (but who hasn't?), but the four matches that they have won have been by less than seven points.

And don't forget that Le Bugue's long wait for a win at the start of the season ended with their 18-7 home victory over Lourdes.

Stade Antoine-Beguere did have French rugby's highest goalposts; we're not sure if this is still the case after a recent story that they were being trimmed so the Pope could land his helicopter on the pitch during a recent visit to the town's famous Basilica. What we wouldn't give for some divine intervention on February 20...

The news Fed-lines: Pool 3 is the easiest to start with, as the top four has been sorted: Beziers, Nice, Chateaurenard and Saint-Etienne proceed to the Trophée Jean-Prat, their dominance meaning that of the bottom four, all but Romans are in for a difficult time in the play-downs, where teams keep the points earned in the regular season (play-off candidates start with a clean slate).

Some teams in Pool 4 still have two games to play, although crucially, two of them, third-placed Castanet and fifth-places La Seyne, meet before the final week in a winner-probably-takes-all encounter. In between sit Aubenas, who will probably need to beat runaway leaders Carcassonne in their last game to go through. Marseille-Vitrolles are already through with the Cité club.

Pool 5 is as close as Le Bugue's pool, but with Valence d'Agen and Marmande already through, wins for Cahors and Lavaur in their games in hand would condemn St-Jean-de-Luz to the play-downs. Orthez visit bottom club Morlaas in their one remaining game knowing that even if they win, they may have to rely on Cahors and Lavaur losing to take their place in the top four.

Pool 1 sees a virtual play-off between fourth-placed Vannes and fifth-place Orleans for one of the two remaining play-off places. The other should go to Bobigny, but sixth-placed Niort can mathematically qualify, even if it would mean them beating runaway pool leaders Limoges on their own patch. Second-placed Saint-Nazaire should confirm second place on their visit to whipping boys Poitiers.

Pool 2 is only waiting to see if Dijon can cut the mustard against Massy during their game in hand. Win that and a home win over pool leaders Chalon on the final day could be enough to overhaul Montlucon into fourth place, but they'll need a bonus point somewhere along the way. Chalon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Massy are already planning their assault on the Trophée Jean-Prat.

You can find all the latest Federale 1 results at ItsRugby.fr

Fédérale 1 Pool 6 table: