Gasnier injured as Stade win again

Mark Gasnier is in doubt for his championship-leading French rugby club’s European Cup opener next weekend after suffering an ankle injury.

Playing his first home Top 14 match for Stade Francais, rugby league convert Gasnier was injured as he attempted to catch a high ball.

Stade Francais, coached by fellow Australian Ewen McKenzie, racked up their seventh consecutive win with a 34-16 victory over Montauban to be eight points clear of Toulouse.

However they have concerns going into their opening European Cup clash against Ulster next weekend with Gasnier and scrum-half Alexandre Albouy (knee) both forced from the field by injury.

Stade were level at 6-6 at the break before running in four tries after the interval through Djibril Camara, who had replaced Gasnier, centre Mathieu Bastareaud, Mathieu Blin and back-row Mauro Bergamasco whose score secured a bonus point.

Toulouse defeated Castres 28-10 on Friday.

Meanwhile Sonny Bill William’s big-spending Toulon slumped to their fourth defeat of the season as a 37-12 loss at Perpignan sent them to fourth from bottom and piled more pressure on coach Tana Umaga.

Perpignan, who have demonstrated similar ambitions to Toulon by tempting All Black superstar Dan Carter on a six-month deal, moved into third place, 10 points behind Stade Francais.

Perpignan’s only regret was not picking up an offensive bonus point. They had been only 9-0 ahead at the break with full-back Jerome Porical kicking three penalties but four tries came their way after the interval.

A penalty try was awarded when the Toulon scrum was penalised on their try-line with Jean-Philippe Granclaude, Julien Candelon and Adrien Plante adding three further scores in the space of eight minutes.

Anthony Giacobazzi and Samoan full-back Orene Ai’i scored Toulon’s two tries.

Perpignan’s Samoan international No 8 Henry Tuilagi was later ruled out of action for two months after breaking his arm in the match.

The 32-year-old former Leicester Tigers forward will miss Friday’s opening European Cup clash with Treviso as well as the November internationals series where he had been selected for the Pacific Islanders on their European tour.

Biarritz ran in six tries, with French centre Damien Traille claiming a brace, in a 46-3 romp over Montpellier while Mont-de-Marsan remain rooted to the foot of the table after their sixth defeat in seven matches courtesy of a 53-11 mauling at Brive.

Former England winger Ben Cohen ran in the first of seven tries after just five minutes while Welsh full-back Barry Davies scored twice and Fijian winger Norman Ligairi grabbing a hat-trick.

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© 2008 AFP