FILIPO NAKOSI DIVED over the line with two minutes left as Toulon beat reigning champions Castres 28-27 on Sunday for a first Top 14 victory of the season.
Yet their joy was tempered by a red card for captain Mathieu Bastareaud, for thumping an opponent on the ground, and injuries that forced off fly-half Rhys Webb and scrum-half Anthony Belleau.
“The season is launched,” said Toulon backs coach Sebastien Tillous-Borde. “We managed to go and get them with a guy less after the red card.”
For champions Castres, it was a first defeat of the season. While Toulon lost Bastareaud with 10 minutes left, Castres played most of the last 20 minutes with 14 men because of two yellow cards.
The Castres defeat left Clermont, who beat Stade Francais on Saturday, as the only club with three victories after three rounds and four points clear at the top.
The Toulon victory lifted the big-spending club off the bottom of the table.
“Winning is good,” said Toulon lineout coach Juan Martin Fernandez Lobbe. “It heals.”
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In a first half that sometimes resembled fast-break basketball, No. 8 Liam Messam gave Toulon the lead in the fourth minute as the home pack drove him to the base of a post.
Winger Martin Laveau finished a sweeping Castres attack, before lock Steve Mafi raced through the Toulon defence after a turnover near midfield and found scrum-half Rory Kockott to score.
Two penalties and a drop goal by Benjamin Urdapilleta pulled Toulon clear before flanker Stephane Onambele struck back with a try for the home team.
The second half was more traditional rugby trench warfare on a surface that began to cut up badly.