Toulon were clearly the better side before Peet Marais' first-half red card, but playing the best part of an hour against 14 men certainly made things easier. We will have a better idea this weekend if Toulon are back to being the dominant side in France, although it remains to be seen whether Montpellier really see this game as a priority, with a winnable trip to Bayonne the following week.

Second welcomes in third in a game that could easily be a preview of next year's Top 14 final, given the sheer quality in both squads. Both teams were back to winning ways last week, with Toulon cruising past Brive while Montpellier laboured to a 23-3 win over Stade Français. The return of Matt Giteau undoubtedly made a difference for Bernard Laporte's side, but equally helpful was taking on a Brive team that seemed more focused on fighting than actually playing rugby.

Hello and welcome to Ultimate Rugby's live coverage of the Top 14 with RC Toulon hosting Montpellier this afternoon.