Top 14: Ronan O'Gara left counting injury cost of Bayonne defeat

La Rochelle boss Ronan O'Gara. Pic: Billy Stickland/Inpho

Ronan O’Gara was left counting the injury cost of La Rochelle’s card-heavy 26-15 defeat against 14-player Bayonne at San Sebastian’s Reale Arena a week ahead of the Challenge Cup round-of-16 outing against Prem side Newcastle Red Bulls.

Levani Botia and Will Skelton — in just his fourth outing of 2026 — both seem set to be sidelined for a few weeks after picking up injuries within minutes of each other in a clumsy first-half marked by three yellow cards and a red as tackles flew in without fear or sense of safety.

Fullback Davit Niniashvili had to be replaced late-on after he stayed on the floor following a bone-crunching tackle.

The visitors’ Dillyn Leyds had opened the scoring at the end of a tough opening quarter, as the ball was flung wide following a five-metre tap penalty, with Bayonne down to 14 after tighthead Tevita Tatafu had been sin-binned for a croc-roll.

Cheikh Tiberghien followed him to the sidelines for a head-on-head collision with Jules Favre a few minutes before the end of the first half, and Rodrigo Bruni was permanently sent off after piling recklessly into the head of Nolann Le Garrec at a ruck.

But La Rochelle went into the break a player down, too, when hooker Nika Sutidze was shown a yellow card for a high tackle.

Lucas Martin and Judicael Cancoriet traded tries in the third quarter. 

But La Rochelle paid the price for their indiscipline late in the second half, as Tiberghien scored twice in two minutes while the visitors were down to 13 following yellows for Tolu Latu and Semi Lagivala.

Ex-Munster centre Antoine Frisch returned to action after nearly six months on the sidelines following surgery on a recurring foot injury, but he could do nothing to prevent Toulon — whose dip in form is entering alarming territory — losing 36-20 at a resurgent Perpignan.

Pierre Mignoni’s side head into their Champions Cup round-of-16 match against Stormers next weekend at Stade Mayol without a win since January.

And the Top 14’s injury woes mounted when backrow Lewis Ludlam suffered a nasty-looking shoulder injury on the hour while diving over to score.

Ben Tameifuna scored a 75th-minute try as Champions Cup holders Bordeaux warmed up for next weekend’s round-of-16 match against Prem side Leicester with a come-from-behind 21-17 win at Lyon.

Toulouse, with Antoine Dupont, Romain Ntamack, and Thomas Ramos back in club action ahead of next weekend’s Champions Cup knockout match against Bristol Bears at Stade Ernest Wallon, won an entertaining end-to-end battle against Montpellier 45-29. Starting scrum-half Paul Graou scored two of their tries.

A rotated Castres, with one eye on Friday’s match much more difficult mission at Northampton, reignited their stuttering Top 14 play-off hopes with a 49-17 win over basement side Montauban — the visitors’ 16th loss in a row in all competitions.

A Luke Whitelock score at the side of the posts in the 79th minute saw Pau take the lead for the first time against Racing 92 at Stade du Hameau.

Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang then plucked the contestable restart out of the air and broke clear, before passing to Emilien Gailleton to take Racing out of losing bonus range. It ended 27-17.

Stade Francais have only lost once this season at Stade Jean Bouin — and will start as favourites for the four points on Sunday night against a Clermont side that slipped up at home against Montpellier last time out. 

Italy’s Giacomo Nicotera returns to action for the home side after his Six Nations’ heroics.