Stade Francais took the lead in French rugby’s Top 14 on Friday with a five-try 43-30 victory at Grenoble who surrendered their unbeaten home record.

Fiji winger Waisea Nayacalevu grabbed two of Stade’s tries to take his season total to seven with Julien Arias, Jonathan Danty and flanker Antoine Burban scoring the other five-pointers.

The win, Stade’s third on the road this season, took the Paris giants two points clear of champions Toulon who take on Lyon on Saturday.

However, their hopes of crowning Friday’s win with a bonus point were shattered in the last minute when Grenoble were awarded a penalty try to add to earlier scores from Florian Faure and Alipate Ratini.

“I am very satisfied because Grenoble were undefeated here and that wasn’t for nothing,” said Stade coach Gonzalo Quesada.

“It’s a fine victory, we showed character and sacrifice. It’s a success that makes me very proud as a coach.”

On Saturday, French and European champions Toulon return to Top 14 duty missing a host of international stars and bristling over fullback Delon Armitage’s 12-week ban.

Fellow cash-rich giants Racing-Metro have already started their assault on future domination with their audacious capture of All Blacks superstar Dan Carter.

Toulon go into the match without lock forward Bakkies Botha (nose injury), back-rower Steffon Armitage (shoulder), halfback Sebastien Tillous-Borde (knee) and winger Bryan Habana (knee).

All were hurt in their bruising back-to-back European Cup confrontations against Leicester, while 31-year-old Armitage was banned for three months after being found guilty of using offensive language towards spectators at Leicester in the first match between the two sides.

“It’s incomprehensible,” Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal said.

Racing Metro, six points off the lead, host La Rochelle – still riding high after capturing Carter for the 2015 campaign.

The 32-year-old New Zealand five-eighth will move to France after the 2015 World Cup on a deal reportedly worth up to 1.6 million euros ($A2.4 million) per season, which would make him the world’s best-paid player.

Of more immediate concern to Racing is the loss until mid-February of Irish No.10 Jonathan Sexton, forced to rest following a series of hits to the head while on international duty.

Montpellier are desperate having lost seven straight games and with coach Fabien Galthie’s position looking increasingly precarious.

Third-placed Clermont face rock-bottom Castres.