81-cap Scotland international helps pull off Top 14 survival feat

Jonny Gray helped Perpignan preserve their place in the Top 14 as they defeated Provence Rugby in the promotion/relegation play-off.

The Catalan team won 47-24 at Stade Maurice David in Aix-en-Provence in what is known in France as the ‘access match’. It’s the fourth time in five seasons that Perpignan have won the play-off.

Having finished second bottom of the Top 14 at the end of the regular season, Perpignan took on Provence, who lost to Vannes last week in the Pro D2 final.

Perpignan supporters celebrate with prop Kieran Brookes after the club's win over Provence Rugby in the French Top14 / ProD2 access match at the Stade Maurice-David in Aix-en-Provence. | AFP via Getty Images

Gray, who moved to Perpignan from Bordeaux-Begles in March, started in the second row. His team struggled initially and trailed 10-0 after 25 minutes to tries from Romain Latterrade and Andres Zafra, with Perpignan front-row forwards Giorgi Tetrashvili and Sama Malolo both being shown yellow-cards. But two tries from the visitors before half-time, from substitute Peceli Yato and Theo Forner, turned the game around and Perpignan went in at the break 14-10 ahead.

Gray will now join Scotland squad

Further tries early in the second half from Oviedo and Yato again increased Perpigan’s lead to 28-10. Leo Drouet got one back for Provence before Ignacio Ruiz was on the end of a driving maul to make it 33-17 to Perpignan.

The Aix men replied through Setareki Bituniyata but late tries by Oviedo and captain Jeronimo de la Fuente sealed the win over Philippe Saint-André's side.

Gray, 32, will now join up with the Scotland squad for their Nations Championship campaign which will see them play away games next month against Argentina and South Africa before hosting Fiji at Murrayfield. The 81-times capped lock was named in the national squad last week.

Jonny Gray was named in the Scotland squad for the Nations Championship. | SNS Group

Jamie Ritchie, who has captained Perpignan this season, missed the access match through injury. The ankle problem has also ruled the Glasgow Warriors-bound flanker out of the Scotland tour.

Meanwhile, Stade Francais and Racing 92 have both won through to the Top 14 semi-finals. Back-row forward Romain Briatte scored a hat-trick and England international Joe Marchant bagged a double as Stade hammered La Rochelle 45-5. They will now face Montpellier on Saturday for a place in the final.

Racing ended Pau's unbeaten home league run with a 33-31 win and will meet champions Toulouse on Friday. Both semi-finals will be played at Marseille’s Stade Velodrome.