Kaino injury adds to Toulouse woes

TOP 14 WRAP: Two-time World Cup winner Jerome Kaino added to French Top 14 giants Toulouse's woes on Saturday.

The veteran All Blacks back row forward suffered an ankle injury in the 16-all draw with Castres.

Kaino, 37, a world champion in 2011 and 2015, was forced off at the start of the second half as Toulouse played out a third successive match without a win.

Toulouse, the record 20-time French champions, had been the table toppers before the recent international period, but have struggled without French stars Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Julien Marchand and Cyril Baille.

Also missing is Springboks' World Cup winning wing Cheslin Kolbe who has been ruled out until the end of November with a hip problem.

Forwards Francois Cros, Rory Arnold and Clement Castets are also injured.

On the pitch Saturday, Toulouse were 13-3 up at the interval thanks to a 24th-minute try from hooker Peato Mauvaka and eight points from the boot of Zack Holmes.

Centre Thomas Combezou scored Castres' only try early in the second half with Argentine flyhalf Benjamin Urdapilleta kicking the extra points, including a penalty three minutes from time to guarantee a share of the spoils.

"We come out of it with two points from a somewhat tricky game," said Toulouse fullback Maxime Medard.

"It's negative not to have won at home because when you are the hosts in a derby game and you draw, it looks more like a defeat."

Toulouse remain in third place, three points behind leaders Clermont who clash with second-place La Rochelle on Sunday.

Elsewhere Saturday, Racing 92 scored a converted try five minutes from time to secure a 24-22 win over Pau.

Fabien Sanconnie went over for the score with Francois Trinh-Duc kicking the extras as Racing claimed a fourth win in six games this season.

They also moved into fourth place in the table ahead of Toulon who defeated Brive 35-19 on Friday.

Bordeaux scored six tries in a bonus point 43-19 win over Bayonne, a week after racking up a 71-5 mauling of Agen.

Results

Toulouse 16 Castres 16

Bordeaux-Begles 43 Bayonne 19

Racing92 24 Pau 22

Toulon 35 Brive 19

Playing Sunday (kick-off is GMT)

Agen v Lyon (18.00)

La Rochelle v Clermont (20.05)

* Montpellier v Stade Francais postponed due to coronavirus cases