Johan Goosen scored 11 points as Racing 92 beat Stade Français 34-16 in Saturday's Paris derby, while Castres, Clermont, La Rochelle and Toulon also won in the Top 14.
Hosts Stade raced out to an early 10-0 lead thanks to a Morné Steyn penalty and a converted try by Waisea Nayacalevu.
Steyn goaled two more penalties, but World Rugby Player of the Year Dan Carter's superb self-converted try and two penalty kicks saw Racing trail 16-13 at the interval.
In the 50th minute, after an injury scare, Carter was replaced by Goosen.
Stade then imploded with three sending-offs in the space of five minutes. Loose forwards Jono Ross and Sylvain Nicolas were yellow-carded before prop Zak Taulafo received a straight red card for a dangerous tackle.
Racing pounced on 12-man Stade, scoring two tries through halfbacks Mike Phillips and Goosen, who nailed the conversions.
While Ross and Nicolas returned, the damage was done for Stade, who failed to add to their tally, while leaking one final score to Brice Dulin right at the end to hand Racing a bonus-point victory.
Meanwhile, winger David Smith lit up the Top 14 with four tries in Castres’ 50-6 demolition of Agen; scrumhalf Morgan Parra kicked 10 points in Clermont’s 25-6 bonus-point victory over Brive at home; and La Rochelle secured a 35-16 bonus-point win against Pau, who played without former All Blacks Conrad Smith and Colin Slade.
Elsewhere, internationals Duane Vermeulen, Juan Smith, Ma’a Nonu and Drew Mitchell (two) scored tries as Toulon hammered Grenoble 38-8 in Mayol. The bonus-point triumph keep Toulon two points behind log leaders Racing and a point adrift of second-placed Clermont.
In the only match played on Friday, Luke McAllister kicked a 63rd-minute penalty to salvage a 13-13 draw for Toulouse against Bordeaux, who conceded two yellow cards. The draw was Toulouse’s second stalemate in as many weeks.
On Sunday, Montpellier visit Oyonnax in the final game of the weekend.
Round 17 results:
Stade Français 16 Racing 34
Castres 50 Agen 6
Clermont 25 Brive 6
La Rochelle 35 Pau 16
Toulon 38 Grenoble 8
Toulouse 13 Bordeaux 13
Photo: Dave Winter/Getty Images
