Biarritz rescued a modest season by taking the fifth and final European Cup place on Saturday with a resounding 38-10 defeat of Montauban in the final round of French Top 14 matches.

However, they will have to sit on the sidelines and watch the top four teams fight it out in the championship play-offs which get underway on May 29 with defending champions Toulouse playing perennial runners-up Clermont in Bordeaux while Perpignan will play Stade Francais on May 30 in Lyon.

Biarritz had former French scrum-half Dmitri Yachvili to thank in large part for their victory as he contributed 18 points including a try.

Perpignan continued to make light of the absence of star signing Dan Carter - who suffered a season ending injury earlier this year - and ensured they finished top of the table with a 32-26 victory at Castres.

Another All Black legend, Tana Umaga, signed off on a testing season on a high with a try in his side Toulon's 23-3 win over Montpellier.

He will hope for happier times next term especially with the arrival of director of rugby Philippe Saint Andre and several fresh faces.

The five automatically qualified sides for the European Cup could be joined by a sixth should Bourgoin beat Northampton in the final of the European Challenge Cup.

Bourgoin, who flirted with relegation and then threatened with the drop over their dire financial situation, had done Biarritz an enormous favour by holding Brive 19-19.

Bayonne finished level on points with Brive in the standings with an impressive 31-27 victory over Stade Francais, whose Argentinian fullback Juan Martin Hernandez scored 17 points.

Dax's inglorious two seasons in the Top 14 - they only escaped relegation last season because Albi were demoted over lack of finances - came to an embarrassing end as they were walloped 73-3 by Clermont.

Brock James contributed 21 points, including one of their 11 tries.

Toulouse too imposed a heavy defeat on the other relegated side, Mont-de-Marsan, running out 60-8 victors with French half-back Frederic Michalak coming on as a second-half replacement for All Black great Byron Kelleher and scoring one of their 10 tries.

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