Giteau, Wilkinson spearhead Toulon

Australian star Matt Giteau scored a brace of tries while English flyhalf Jonny Wilkinson kicked a match-winning penalty five minutes from time as Toulon fought back to beat Racing-Metro 23-21 on Saturday.

Trailing 13-21 after 50 minutes, Giteau, who had scored a first-half try after being set-up by Alexis Palisson, benefitted from the same supplier again on the hour mark to cut the deficit.

Wilkinson converted and then added his third penalty of the match in the 75th minute to give Toulon their second win in two Top 14 games this season after last weekend's 21-15 victory over Perpignan.

Wilkinson had kicked all of his side's points in that win.

Racing's tries on Saturday came from wing Virimi Vakatawa in the 15th minute and back-row forward Antoine Battut in the 49th minute.

"I salute the spirit of the players and their desire," said Toulon coach Bernard Laporte.

"We have a lot of players who have won great honours in their careers but they also know that without desire, those honours are nothing."

Toulon are third in the table with eight points, one point behind Biarritz and Toulouse who have nine points from their two games.

Champions Toulouse overcame a 19-17 half-time deficit to beat promoted Mont-de-Marsan 37-22 while Biarritz edged Agen 25-19.

Top 14 results:

Racing-Metro 21 Toulon 23

Toulouse 37 Mont-de-Marsan 22

Castres 30 Grenoble 13

Montpellier 13 Clermont 8

Bayonne 24 Stade Français 11

Agen 19 Biarritz 25

Bordeaux 26 Perpignan 22

Standings (under headings played, won, drawn, lost, points for, points against, bonus points, points):

Biarritz 2 2 0 0 60 29 1 9

Toulouse 2 2 0 0 60 44 1 9

Toulon 2 2 0 0 44 36 0 8

Castres 2 1 0 1 52 36 1 5

Bayonne 2 1 0 1 30 24 1 5

Bordeaux 2 1 0 1 54 51 1 5

Clermont 2 1 0 1 21 19 1 5

Racing-Metro 2 1 0 1 45 43 1 5

Stade Francais 2 1 0 1 43 40 0 4

Montpellier 2 1 0 1 29 40 0 4

Grenoble 2 1 0 1 42 58 0 4

Agen 2 0 0 2 39 49 2 2

Perpignan 2 0 0 2 37 47 2 2

Mont-de-Marsan 2 0 0 2 32 72 0 0

AFP