The Fort Worth Press - Ex-All Black Nonu rolls back the years again as Toulon cruise past Pau

The 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cup winner crashed over as one of five try-scorers to move Toulon up to third place in the table after five rounds.

Last Sunday, Nonu became the oldest ever try-scorer in the league, crossing in the loss at Bayonne, having come out of a brief retirement originally as medical cover with Toulon last season.

He is in his third stint at Toulon, having originally joined in 2015, just after the club won the Champions Cup for the third year in a row in the most glorious era in its history.

Pau drop down to fourth in the standings despite efforts from Argentina No.8 Facundo Isa and Samoa centre Tumua Manu.

Toulon led 14-3 at the break in blazing sunshine on the French Riviera thanks to touchdowns from winger Rayan Rebbadj and flanker Esteban Abadie.

Centre Antoine Frisch and lock Dave Ribbans added further scores after the break before former France captain Charles Ollivon returned to action for the first time in nine months after recovering from a cruciate knee ligament injury.

Nonu's contribution came with 25 minutes to play, in between Isa and Manu's second-half consolations for the visitors.

Elsewhere, one-time New Zealand fly-half Harry Plummer scored 23 points to help Clermont hammer promoted Montauban 84-31 in a 16-try spectacle.

The result broke the record for the most points scored in a Top 14 match, which had been the 102 when Les Jaunards smashed Dax 95-7 in 2008.

Clermont's 12 tries came from 11 different players, with winger Joris Jurand the only one to score twice.

South African centre Jeremy Ward crossed twice as Stade Francais moved to the summit of the table beating Perpignan 28-11.

Later on Saturday, struggling Champions Cup winners Bordeaux-Begles welcome Lyon, a week on from a humbling loss at Stade Francais.

On Sunday, there is a re-run of last season's Top 14 semi-final as Bayonne host Toulouse but livewire Fiji centre Sireli Maqala is sidelined for the Basques with concussion.

Maqala has been nominated for the Top 14 player of the season prize for 2024/2025, alongside Toulouse pair Thomas Ramos and Jack Willis, with the awards' ceremony taking place on Monday.

C.M.Harper--TFWP