Racing 92 deny Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle Top 14 summit

Simon Zebo claims the bragging rights over former Munster teammate Ronan O'Gara with Racing 92's four point win over La Rochelle in Paris on Sunday. 

Ronan O'Gara and Simon Zebo after the match between La Rochelle and Racing 92. Picture: @SimonZebo Twitter

Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle missed the chance to claim the French Top 14 summit when they suffered a four-point defeat (22-26) away to Racing 92 on Sunday afternoon.

Both sides were without their Six Nations players with La Rochelle call on Victor Vito to replace France's Gregory Alldritt, who featured for almost an hour in France's 50-10 win at Italy o Saturday.  

The home side were also down a number of first team regulars as they were without injured trio Virimi Vakatawa, Kurtley Beale and Camille Chat and started 18-year-old Nolann Le Garrec at scrum-half.

Racing led 10-0 after five minutes as Antoine Gibert kicked a penalty and converted Teddy Baubigny’s early try before Vito celebrated his return from a bicep injury with a first try in 13 months.

Vito crossed in the corner unopposed after a wonderful off-load from Fiji centre Levani Botia but the home side were 16-5 clear at the break after Gibert added two more penalties.

Racing led 23-12 entering the final quarter after away flanker Paul Boudehent responded to Vito’s fellow former All Black Dominic Bird’s effort.

The visitors trailed by a point with 15 minutes to go as Tawer Kerr Barlow scurried over from short-range for a try.

The experienced loose forward then set-up winger Martin Alonso Munez but ex-New Zealand Maori fly-half Ihaia West missed the two conversions to set up a tense finish.

Gibert slotted a fourth penalty to make it 26-22 as O'Gara's side heaped on the pressure bur failed to make their dominance count and stay in second place with defeat.

Toulouse still top the table on 52 points - two clear of La Rochelle who edge Racing on points differencec.

On Saturday, South Africa's Rugby World Cup winner Cobus Reinach was on the scoresheet for the first time since mid-October as struggling Montpellier beat Stade Francais 31-6 to move within a point of the Basques in 12th spot.

Elsewhere, former New Zealand Under-20 back-rower Jordan Taufua made his Lyon debut in Friday's 26-18 defeat at Stade Marcel-Michelin to start the weekend of rearranged games affected by Covid-19 cases among squads.