Racing close in on top six with Bayonne thrashing

Racing 92 boosted their hopes of making the Top 14 play-offs with a 59-20 trouncing of lowly Bayonne.

Although the defending champions began Saturday’s fixture at Stade Yves Du Manoir sitting 10th in the table, Racing knew a win would lift them to seventh.

And Racing now sit just one point adrift of sixth-placed Toulouse, having run in nine tries against the league’s bottom club.

Two Martin Bustos Moyano penalties gave Bayonne an early advantage and the visitors were still very much in the contest after 27 minutes, when Romain Martial collected a Willie du Plessis kick to touch down after tries from Brice Dulin and Henry Chavancy for Racing.

From that moment on, it was one-way traffic, however, as Racing ruthlessly seized control.

Gerbrandt Grobler and Teddy Thomas claimed two tries apiece, while there were also touchdowns for Dimitri Szarzewski, James Hart and Marc Andreu.