Montpellier humiliate Racing

Jake White's side are one point ahead of third-placed Clermont with two games to play as they target direct qualification for the Top 14 semifinals next month.

Leaders La Rochelle are nine points ahead of Montpellier who they host next weekend.

Racing 92 stay sixth in the final play-off spot but have no room for manoeuvre in their final two games against Stade Français and Bordeaux-Bègles.

The match was rescheduled after the players' strike over the now abandoned merger plan between Paris rivals Racing and Stade Francais.

But it was a fall back to earth for Racing who suffered their first defeat since the controversy after solid wins over Clermont, Pau and Toulouse.

Montpellier continued the punishment they inflicted on now relegated pair Grenoble (54-14) and Bayonne (61-22) during their last two matches.

White's troops were in total command throughout assuring a bonus point after just 17 minutes.

Fijian wing Nemani Nadolo resisted two tackles to touch down on four minutes, and then helped centre Kélian Galletier (8) and South African hooker Bismarck Du Plessis (17) score two more tries.

The hosts defence was solid despite Nadolo's temporary sin binning with Racing's only points from a Dan Carter penalty on 14 minutes at the Altrad Stadium.

After the break it was all one-way traffic with five more tries including a quickfire double from Montpellier's new South African fly-half Willie Du Plessis.

Humiliated Racing leave Montpellier with a similar whipping as last year 60-7.

Table (played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, total points):

La Rochelle         24 16 3  5 641 431 10 80

Montpellier         24 15 0  9 686 498 11 71

Clermont            24 13 3  8 747 516 12 70

Toulon              24 12 2 10 616 486  9 61

Castres             24 12 1 11 588 469  8 58

Racing92            24 13 1 10 541 569  3 57

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Stade Français      24 11 1 12 590 588  8 54

Lyon                24 11 2 11 532 556  6 54

Bordeaux-Bègles     24 11 1 12 536 533  7 53

Brive               24 12 1 11 517 575  3 53

Pau                 24 11 1 12 560 642  7 53

Toulouse            24 10 0 14 490 497  8 48

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Grenoble            24  6 1 17 523 788  7 33 -- relegated

Bayonne             24  5 3 16 411 830  0 26 -- relegated

Note: Top six in play-offs; bottom two relegated

Agence France-Presse