Goosen stars as Racing down Bordeaux

Paris - Racing 92 warmed up for their mouth-watering European Champions Cup clash against French rivals Toulon with a three-try, 28-20 Top 14 win at Bordeaux on Saturday.

With All Blacks superstar Dan Carter rested with next weekend's quarter-final clash in mind, it was left to Racing's South African contingent to grab the headlines for the big-spending Paris outfit.

But it wasn't an entirely comfortable evening in front of 31,000 fans at the Stade Matmut Atlantique.

Bordeaux led 10-9 at half-time courtesy of a fourth-minute converted try by Fijian winger Metuisela Talebula and a penalty from veteran flyhalf Lionel Beauxis.

In reply, Racing's South African fullback Johannes Goosen hit a perfect three penalties in three attempts to keep his side in touch.

Racing though seized control with three tries in the space of 10 second-half minutes.

First, South African-born French international flanker Antonie Claassen went over for the score before Goosen scored twice.

His first came after a smart intercept of a loose Beauxis pass which allowed him to sprint from the halfway line to touch down in the corner.

The 23-year-old fullback's second was also a joy as he ducked between two defenders before smartly side-stepping a third as Racing built up a 28-13 lead.

Goosen finished with a personal haul of 23 points but Bordeaux gave Racing a scare late on with a converted penalty try.

The result left Racing in third place, locked on 64 points with Montpellier while Clermont still lead on 66 points ahead of their Sunday game against European champions Toulon.

One week out from their European Cup clash against Leicester, reigning Top 14 champions Stade Francais slumped to a 13th league defeat of the season, losing 21-18 to unheralded La Rochelle.

"We did not get the rewards in the key moments of the match," said Toulouse coach Ugo Mola whose team was still without influential forwards, skipper Thierry Dusautoir and Louis Picamoles.

"But we saw a poor Toulouse who didn't have the speed to put Castres on the back foot."