A DETERMINED display from Pia, in fifth place, earned three precious league points at fourth-placed Albi with a deserved 18-14 victory.
The Baroudeurs outplayed the reigning champions, whose stuttering showing, for the second game in a row, does not augur well for the play-offs.
A Robin Brochon penalty-goal put Albi ahead but not for long. Pia winger Adrien Saliès went over from a scrum, Damien Huescar adding the conversion, before Théo Fages scampered over, Huescar again converting.
In reply, Albi forward Tristan Dupuy fell on the ball in-goal after a Pia fumble and Brochon goaled.
Albi’s drives up the middle proved fruitless against a tight Pia defence. Instead Pia increased their lead when, from a 40-20, forward Nonu Tuia charged through for a try on the first play, Huescar again goaling for an 18-8 lead.
Two minutes from the end, centre Clément Tailhades forced his way over, Brochon converting, but it came far too late to avert Albi’s first home defeat of the season.
Tony Gigot’s men will face another tough test when they visit leaders Limoux in a rearranged match on Saturday.
Limoux, with a late flurry, ran up a convincing 34-10 scoreline against Avignon.
The teams were level for the best part of an hour until halfback Matis Dall’Asta began to play an increasingly influential role, creating a try for Romain Puso and converting all three tries which followed.
Centre Georgy Gambaro spared Carcassonne’s blushes when he sprinted 75 metres for an interception try that gave the Canaries a 24-20 victory at Toulouse.
The Canaries’ ill-discipline almost cost them dearly. They gave away numerous penalties and had three players yellow carded: first Jowasa Drodrolagi, then both halfbacks, Clément Herrero and Lucas Albert, alongside Toulouse’s Axel Palin, following a brawl.
The teams were level on 12-12 at the break, Alexis Escamilla and Morgan Escaré crossing for Carcassonne and Maxime Stefani twice for Toulouse.
Hooker Hugo Garrigues, recently seen in Toulouse’s Super League side, went over from the play-the-ball to give a 20-12 lead, but the Canaries clawed their way back, first with a try by young centre Yanis Ahcini and then, decisively, with Gambaro’s long-range effort.
Villefranche got the better of sixth-placed St Estève-XIII Catalan, leading throughout for a 24-18 victory.
The home side were 16-4 ahead at half-time and successfully held off the Catalans’ second-half fightback.
St Gaudens, who had been without a win until two weeks ago, recorded their second victory when they triumphed 33-18 at Lézignan, where the home side’s play-off hopes took a battering following their fifth defeat in a row.
Though centre Konrad Hurrell scored two tries for the FCL, he was outshone by St Gaudens halfback Valentin Dumas, who scored a try, created two others and landed a late field-goal.
Results
Albi 14 Pia 18
Lézignan 18 St Gaudens 33
Limoux 34 Avignon 10
Toulouse 20 Carcassonne 24
Villefranche 24 St Estève-XIII Catalan 18
Bye: Villeneuve
Fixtures
Saturday 21 March
Limoux v Albi
St Gaudens v Carcassonne
Table
Limoux 35 pts
Carcassonne 34 pts
Avignon 32 pts
Pia 31 pts
Albi 31 pts
St Estève-XIII Catalan 26 pts
Lézignan 22 pts
Toulouse 21 pts
Villefranche 18 pts
Villeneuve 15 pts
St Gaudens 14 pts