It ain’t over till it’s over. At least that’s how the saying goes, and never a truer word has been spoken about the current fight for relegation in the Top 14. 

For months it’s looked as though Brive were destined for the Pro-D2 as they lingered uncomfortably at the foot of the table. 

And yet, with two back-to-back wins under their belt, they now find themselves in with a fighting chance of escaping automatic relegation with two games remaining of the regular season. 

At the other end of the table, Toulouse and La Rochelle continued their hunt for a semi-final spot with wins, while Racing and Lyon reinforced their playoff pull with valuable victories at home. 

Here are the top five talking points from the latest round of Top 14 action. 

Bruni gives Brive survival lifeline

Rodrigo Bruni’s last-minute try gave Brive a vital lifeline in their hunt to stay up, as they tipped Montpellier 27-26 at the GGL Stadium. 

Anthony Bouthier scored the only points of the first half to give Montpellier a 5-0 advantage. Brive got one of their own early in the second period when a quick tap unleashed Mathis Ferte in the corner. 

Then in the 67th minute, the visitors were awarded a penalty try for a collapsed maul, putting them two points behind Montpellier. 

The host quickly re-established control when Pierre Lucas scored with ten minutes left on the clock. 

But just as things looked to be turning for the worst, Brive found a hero in Bruni. With the clock in the red, the number eight peeled from a scrum, powered through two tacklers, reached out and scored. 

Nicolás Sánchez converted the try to steal a victory for Brive, which may just have saved their season, as they are now just four points off 13th-placed Perpignan. 

For Montpellier, the result sees them drop down to tenth. 

Pau all but confirm safety with a thumping win 

Pau all but secured safety with a thumping 40-3 win over Castres at the Estadio du Hameau. 

The win puts them eight points above 13th-placed Perpignan, who suffered a gruelling 41-31 loss to Lyon on Saturday. 

As a result, unless Perpignan convincingly wins their two remaining fixtures, Pau will end the season on dry land and return to the Top 14. 

It didn’t take long for Pau to stamp their authority over Castres. With only six minutes played, Emilien Gailleton broke into space and offloaded to his captain Beka Gorgadze, who crossed over to give Pau the lead. 

From then on, the hosts were in complete control, manoeuvring Castres to their heart’s content. Try-scoring sensation Gailleton would go on to score two of his own as it quickly became an afternoon to remember for the men in green. 

Second-row Santiago Grondona and hooker Lucas Rey also got their names on the score sheet, propelling Pau to within two points of Castres in the table. 

Castres' sole points came from the boot of Benjamín Urdapilleta, making it a day to forget for last season’s finalists as they squandered an opportunity to push closer to playoff contention. 

Racing obliterate Bayonne to soar into Top Four

Racing 92 was at their breath-taking best as they crushed Bayonne 55-14, catapulting them to fourth in the table. 

The seven-try hammering in Paris was a spectacle to behold and reminded teams across the league of Racing’s pedigree when they’re firing off all cylinders. 

Though it did take a bit of time for the hosts to warm up. Vinaya Habosi scored Racing’s only try of the first half, but that list grew substantially in the second half. 

Gaël Fickou was among those who benefitted, crossing the line twice in the second half and was not the only player to achieve the feat, as Habosi grabbed his second of the day in the 77th minute. 

Veteran winger Juan Imhoff also scored, making it five tries for the backline in total. 

Crucially, the win sends Racing up to fourth in the table, with a one-point cushion over fifth-placed Lyon. Meanwhile, Bayonne remains eighth, lingering on the edge of playoff contention. 

Clermont returns to winning ways

Clermont returned to winning ways with a confident second-half display to beat Stade Francais 32-16 at the Parc des Sports Marcel Michelin. 

Three Joris Segonds penalties and a try from Sekou Macalou gave Stade Francais a slender 16-12 lead at the break, but the visitors slowly watched their lead fade away as they failed to clock a single point in the second period. 

Clermont took their time to consolidate control, taking the lead in the 65th minute when replacement prop Giorgi Beria pounced on a loose ball and scrambled over the line. 

Christophe Urios’ men surged on, and with the clock in the red, Damian Penaud went diving over in the right corner to cap off Clermont’s first league win since late March, moving them up to ninth in the table while Stade remains third. 

Toulouse overcome Bordeaux to hold onto top spot

Toulouse overcame a dogged Bordeaux Bègles 31-17 at the Stade Toulousain to retain their hold over the top spot. 

The performance from the league leaders was typically outgoing and exciting, with plenty of expansive rugby on offer for travelling home fans. 

A finish from Antoine Dupont in the second half was of particular note, as the French scrum-half flew through a hole in the midfield before soaring through multiple tacklers to score under the sticks. 

Chasers La Rochelle also won over the weekend, beating Toulon 23-8 to remain a point behind Toulouse. Despite the exploits of the leaders, it is La Rochelle who are the form team at present, having not lost a single game since February.