Toulouse in crisis after fourth successive defeat

Ailing four-time European champions Toulouse slipped to their fourth successive Top 14 defeat on Saturday losing 27-16 at Racing-Metro despite Vincent Clerc scoring the 86th try of his career.
Clerc's try -- which puts him third on the all-time French league try scorers list two behind Clermont's Aurelien Rougerie and 15 behind the retired Laurent Arbo -- converted by Toby Flood in the second-half was answered by two from the hosts.
Racing are fifth in the table, six points adrift of leaders Clermont who defeated Lyon 43-12 and two behind champions Toulon, who thrashed 14-man Brive 53-13 on Friday.
Toulouse, who came into the match on their worst losing run for 36 years, are 13 points adrift of Clermont after six matches and down in ninth spot.
"We lost our focus," said Toulouse flanker Yannick Nyanga.
"We are going through a bad patch and we need to work really hard because there are lots of things that we are just not doing right."
Racing and Toulouse kickers Maxime Machenaud and Flood slotted over two penalties apiece to have the sides level on the quarter hour mark.
Machenaud, who had the kicking duties in the absence of injured Irish star Jonny Sexton, restored Racing's slight advantage with another penalty.
Machenaud, in competition with Morgan Parra and South African-born Rory Kockott for a spot in Philippe Saint-Andre's French squad, slotted over another penalty six minutes from half-time.
Racing crossed the line in the final minute of the first-half with a lovely passing movement which saw winger Teddy Thomas touch down but it was ruled out for obstruction on Toulouse skipper Thierry Dusautoir.
However, the referee awarded the hosts a penalty from an earlier infraction at the scrum and Machenaud converted to give Racing a 15-9 half-time advantage.
Toulouse came out with the bit between their teeth in the second-half and with the wind behind them they took the lead for the first time in the match six minutes into the second period with a fine try by Clerc.
Keeping the ball alive through a succession of passes involving Nyanga, Yoann Huget and Gael Fickou the ball came to Clerc and despite his 33 years he found the acceleration required to breeze inside Thomas and touch down.
Flood converted for 16-15.
However, their lead lasted just seven minutes as Machenaud stole the ball from a Toulouse scrum deep inside the visitors 22 and it resulted in Chavancey bundling over from a few metres out -- Machenaud added the conversion for a 22-16 lead to the hosts.
The visitors chances of retrieving something from the match receded further in the 58th minute when Kiwi prop Neemia Tialata was sin-binned for using his arm in a tackle and two minutes later Racing added their second try.
It was a collective effort from the Racing pack resulting in replacement hooker Virgile Lacombe being credited for it just minutes after replacing Dimitri Szarzewski who had a problem with his left knee.
Clermont ran in four tries in their 43-12 win over Lyon, enough to collect a bonus point.
Rougerie scored the only try of the first half at their Stade Marcel-Michelin home with three penalties from New Zealand fly-half Stephen Brett keeping Lyon within touching distance.
But three tries in 18 second-half minutes from Benson Stanley, Australian hooker John Ulugia and Kiwi flanker Fritz Lee kept Clermont in charge.
Stade Francais came crashing down from their 28-24 win at Toulon last week with a 23-3 loss at Montpellier who are now third, five points off the top.
Montpellier were without influential fly-half Francois Trinh-Duc who has a calf injury but a try from lock forward Sitaleki Timani on the stroke of half-time and a penalty try at the end of the second period were enough for victory.
Source: AFP