Toulon (AFP)

Toulon painfully beat Montpellier (25-21) on Saturday during the 4th day of the Top 14, enough to be reassured six days before its European final and a week after a poor performance in Toulouse.

The Var took shelter thanks to a try from Gervais Cordin and the foot of Louis Carbonel, while the visitors found the fault twice thanks to Cobus Reinach and Vincent Rattez.

Despite these two tries, this is the third consecutive defeat for MHR in as many league games.

Injured in the right hand since the start of the season, Gervais Cordin took only a quarter of an hour to stand out.

While Toulon was led (3-6), the French rear, able to play also on the wing, was at the conclusion of a very good movement of the three-quarters of the Var.

Distanced in the score, Xavier Garbajosa's men subsequently showed indiscipline.

The former Toulonnais Guilhem Guirado and the back Julien Tisseron received a yellow card.

And even at 14, Montpellier posed problems for the Var, especially in touch.

They could have come back to the score but the opener Anthony Bouthier missed two penalties which nevertheless seemed in his strings.

The Hérault residents ended up reacting after the break.

In seven minutes, they returned the meeting.

Following a collective movement, the South African international scrum-half Cobus Reinach came to flatten between the poles, allowing his team to pick up the score.

Then it was the international tricolor back, Vincent Rattez, who came to conclude at the end of the line and allow his team to return to the front of the scoreboard.

The Toulonnais then relied on Louis Carbonel's boot.

Despite a failure just after half-time, the red and black opener passed four penalties in the second period which allowed his team to take back control.

But the Héraultais did not admit defeat and returned to five meters from the Var goal line five minutes from the end of the game.

For seven minutes and 14 against 15 after the yellow card received by Gabin Villière, the Toulonnais resisted on their line before eventually snatching the ball to win.

Toulon must now quickly turn to Bristol and the Challenge Cup final which will take place Friday evening in Aix-en-Provence.

The MHR will host Agen next Saturday on behalf of the 5th day of Top 14.

© 2020 AFP