A MUCH-IMPROVED Toulouse looked set to cause another major upset at leaders Carcassonne, a week after their shock win over then-unbeaten Avignon.

Sébastien Raguin’s men, sounder this season in defence, led 12-6 at the start of the second half at Stade Albert Domec.

But Carcassonne, though lacking three players through suspension and two more because of injury, hit back to score three tries in ten minutes.

Alexis Escamilla, with an acrobatic dive wide out, planted the ball over the line, Lucas Albert adding the goal.

Vincent Albert touched down from his cousin Lucas Albert’s kick in-goal – a try hotly disputed by Toulouse, who thought the ball had gone dead.

Then centre Sophien Bitigri, put through by Lucas Albert, added a third, the halfback converting all three for a 24-12 lead.

Toulouse closed the gap when loose-forward Paolo Dall’Asta sent Wail Skoundri through a big gap to take the score to 24-18 (after Axel Palin’s goal).

There was no further scoring but forward Maika Serulevu picked up a yellow card which, if a sanction follows, would add to Carcassonne’s list of unavailable players. 

After six rounds, no team are unbeaten but four have lost just one match. Albi, Pia and Carcassonne figure among them, as do Limoux, who consigned Avignon to their second defeat.

Avignon secondrower Valentin Estève went over for the opening try before Limoux’s Christopher Hellec took a hand, landing five penalty-goals in all.

Centre William Partridge created the gap for Matis Jammes to cross and establish a ten-point lead and though Corentin Rey hit back with a try for Avignon, Hellec had the last word, with his final penalty-goal and a field-goal, for a 17-10 win.

Villefranche, looking for their first win of the season as they visited St Estève, scored 30 second-half points but fell to a dramatic golden-point defeat.

The Wolves came back strongly after the break, scoring three tries in ten minutes, two to centre Dredin Sorensen and the other to loose-forward Morgan Andral.

But the Catalans had other ideas and reacted with two tries in three minutes from halfback Mathis Frayssinous, son of France head coach Laurent, and centre Florian Rosique.

Villefranche forward Christopher Lafon touched down to claim the equalising try to take the game to extra time, but it was St Estève winger Yann Doutres who settled the outcome with a try wide out for a 38-34 victory.

Also winless, St Gaudens came close to upsetting Lézignan. Trailing 8-4 at half-time, the Bears finally went down 20-14.

Results
Avignon 10 Limoux 17
Carcassonne 24 Toulouse 18
St Estève-XIII Catalan 38 Villefranche 34
St Gaudens 14 Lézignan 20
Pia v Albi postponed (waterlogged pitch)
Bye: Villeneuve

Fixtures
Saturday 15 November
Albi v St Gaudens
Lézignan v Villeneuve
Toulouse v Pia
Sunday 16 November
Limoux v Carcassonne
Villefranche v Avignon
Bye: St Estève-XIII Catalan

Table
Carcassonne 16 pts
Avignon 14 pts
Limoux 13 pts
Albi 12 pts
Lézignan 11 pts
Pia 9 pts
St Estève-XIII Catalan 9 pts
Toulouse 8 pts
Villeneuve 6 pts
St Gaudens 3 pts
Villefranche 2 pts