Top 14: O'Gara reinstates Dillane for Toulon test 

BACK IN THE FRAME: La Rochelle lock/back-row Ultan Dillane comes into Ronan O'Gara's side. Pic: Nick Elliott

Ex-Ireland international Ultan Dillane returns to the starting line-up of Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle for Sunday night’s Top 14 match against Toulon at Stade Marcel Deflandre, after missing last weekend’s frustrating one-point defeat at Castres.

Dillane slots into the second row alongside Will Skelton, while hooker Tolu Latu, tighthead Uini Atonio and back row Levani Botia – making his 200th club appearance – also start, having come off the bench at Stade Pierre Fabre last Saturday.

Dillyn Leyds returns at fullback after picking up a neck injury in the Champions Cup loss to Leinster, in the only change among the three-quarters, as France under-20 fly-half Hugo Reus teams up with experienced nine Teddy Iribaren once again.

O’Gara has kept faith with Jonathan Danty and UJ Seuteni in midfield, uniting them for the fourth match in a row, despite some lacklustre form as a partnership.

Attack coach Sebastien Boboul, however, insisted the pair’s performances were on the up in the run-in. 

“They’ve been playing a lot,” he told reporters. 

“They’ve had a few physical problems and sometimes lacked confidence. They need to keep going to perform well, and they’re getting better all the time.” 

Franck Azema’s Perpignan took advantage of La Rochelle’s rescheduled match, moved to Sunday to allow Clermont more preparation time for their Challenge Cup semi-final against URC side Sharks at The Stoop, to climb provisionally into the top six courtesy of an impressive 25-20 victory at 13th-placed Montpellier.

The 2022 champions’ relegation nerves were heightened by results elsewhere, as bottom-of-the-table Oyonnax won for the first time in 2024 to close the gap to nine points.

Former Munster and Ireland centre Chris Farrell started for Oyonnax, who came from behind to beat 13-player Castres 22-19 at Stade Charles Mathon. 

The visitors had prop Levan Chilachava and scrum-half Santiago Arata sent-off in the second half, after taking a 13-7 lead into the break.

Clermont, meanwhile, made the most of a first-half red card for Stade Francais’ backrow Tanginoa Halaifonua to bag a desperately needed bonus-point 41-18 win at Stade Marcel Michelin, and climb above Bayonne into 11th place.

Antoine Dupont came off the bench to inspire Toulouse to a 32-12 victory over Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92 in a repeat performance of their Champions Cup round-of-16 win earlier this month.

Only a late try for England’s Henry Arundell denied the reigning Top 14 champions a bonus point, as they put on an ominous show ahead of next Sunday’s semi-final against Harlequins at Stadium Toulouse.

A Louis Bielle-Biarrey brace was the foundation of Bordeaux’s 34-15 victory at Bayonne, ending the Basque side’s unbroken winning run at fortress Stade Jean Dauger which had stretched back to their Top 14 return at the start of the 2022/23 campaign.

Forgotten France scrum-half Baptiste Couilloud scored his 13th Top 14 try of the season, as Lyon eased away from the relegation zone with a bonus-point 38-20 win over Pau at Stade Gerland.