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French champions Perpignan got their Top 14 title defence off to a winning start with a 28-20 win over Bayonne.

Perpignan, who inflicted a third successive Top 14 final defeat on Clermont last season, saw debutant full-back Armand Battle score the team's only try.

Clermont saw off Bourgoin 37-28, running in four tries, two of which were claimed by while flying Fijian winger Napolioni Nalaga, the top try-scorer in the championship in 2008 and 2009.

Bourgoin, last season's European Challenge Cup runners-up who have been dogged by financial problems, were only three points behind at the interval before their weakened team wilted in the searing heat.

Former European champions Toulouse scraped past Montauban 17-16 thanks to a last minute try from Argentine lock forward Patricio Albacete.

But the win came at a cost with fly-half Frederic Michalak aggravating a thigh injury which Toulouse manager Guy Noves blamed on the enforced absence of a host of international players.

With David Skrela and Jean-Marc Doussain both missing, Michalak was pressed into action but was replaced after just 20 minutes.

"Frederic Michalak played when he wasn't sufficiently recovered," fumed Noves who was obliged to rest Cedric Heymans, Vincent Clerc, Florian Fritz, Thierry Dusautoir and Romain Millo-Chlusky under an agreement that all French internationals must rest for eight weeks in the close season.

Biarritz slumped to a 24-12 home defeat to Castres for whom former Toulon winger Marc Andreu scored both of his team's tries.

Racing-Metro, with a host of big name signings, including Sebastien Chabal and French international skipper Lionel Nallet, began life in the top flight with a 19-13 win over fellow promoted side Albi.

English winger Dan Scarborough scored Racing's lone try.

AFP