The meeting of the two unbeaten sides went the visitors’ way. At Albert-Domec, Massy confirmed they remain Carcassonne’s bogey team.

Carcassonne had won their first four matches with the try bonus. Against Massy they received three yellow cards (Peytavi in the 7th minute, Wagner in the 40th, Fadli in the 76th) and trailed 9-5 at the break despite a try from Rémi Boulan. Julien Blanc scored after the restart and Amona Artaud sealed it in the 73rd minute. “The better side won tonight,” admitted Carcassonne manager Joël Rey.

Massy take four points without a bonus, Carcassonne none: an eleven-point margin is too wide for the losing bonus, which stops at seven points in the Nationale. Carcassonne still have the best defence in the league, with 61 points conceded in five matches.

Round five results

Match Score
Orléans – Chambéry 26-28
Albi – Bourg-en-Bresse 26-13
Carcassonne – Massy 12-23
Suresnes – Périgueux 27-22
Mont-de-Marsan – Marcq-en-Barœul 38-23
Rennes – Bourgoin-Jallieu 29-35
Vienne – Rouen 18-36

Mont-de-Marsan and Albi stay in touch

Mont-de-Marsan scored six tries against Marcq-en-Barœul, including braces from Aminiasi Tuimaba and Baden Godfrey, and took the try bonus. They now have the best points difference in the league (+87).

Albi did the same against Bourg-en-Bresse, four tries to one, against a side that received three yellow cards. Bourg-en-Bresse had lost their full-back Maxime Tetlow during the week, when he was due to start: he damaged a cruciate ligament in training, needs surgery and will be out for several months. Albi are third on 21 points, two ahead of Chambéry and Mont-de-Marsan.

Chambéry, Rouen and Bourgoin win on the road

Chambéry won 28-26 at Orléans thanks to a Manex Ariceta try in the 71st minute. Orléans, who received four yellow cards, take the losing bonus. Chambéry remain the league’s most prolific attack, with 183 points scored.

Rouen won 36-18 at Vienne with five tries and the try bonus, against a Vienne side reduced to fourteen from the 46th minute after Antoine Grange was sent off. Bourgoin-Jallieu completed the set of away wins at Rennes (35-29), four tries apiece; Rennes take their third losing bonus of the season.

Suresnes beat Périgueux 27-22, and Périgueux leave with the losing bonus.

The table after five rounds

# Club P W D L Diff Pts
1 Massy 5 5 0 0 +52 23
2 Carcassonne 5 4 0 1 +80 22
3 Albi 5 4 0 1 +31 21
4 Chambéry 5 3 1 1 +64 19
4 Mont-de-Marsan 5 3 0 2 +87 19
6 Rouen 5 3 0 2 +21 16
7 Suresnes 5 3 0 2 -41 14
8 Bourgoin-Jallieu 5 2 1 2 -4 13
8 Orléans 5 2 0 3 -7 13
10 Périgueux 5 2 0 3 -26 12
11 Rennes 5 1 0 4 -24 9
12 Vienne 5 1 0 4 -81 7
13 Bourg-en-Bresse 5 1 0 4 -91 6
14 Marcq-en-Barœul 5 0 0 5 -61 4

Marcq-en-Barœul are still the only side without a win. Round six is played on 2 and 3 October.

Key figures

5 of 5 wins for Massy, the only unbeaten side in the Nationale

4 of 7 round-five matches won by the away side

61 points conceded by Carcassonne, the league's best defence

183 points scored by Chambéry, the league's best attack