PARIS: Hapless French rugby side Agen slumped to their 16th successive defeat on Saturday with a 39-19 loss to Montpellier earning them the unwanted record of the worst ever start to a Top 14 season.

However, defiant boss Regis Sonnes predicted that Agen, based in the south-western city where 16th century astrologer, physician and reputed seer Nostradamus briefly lived, will win a game before the season is over.

"I am sad and disappointed for the players," said Sonnes whose side led 13-8 at half-time and 16-15 on the hour.

However, Montpellier were allowed to run in four second-half tries which proved Agen's undoing.

"But I have no doubt that we will win a match before the end of the season. There will be more opportunities."

He added: "We knew how to win the psychological showdown but we lost because there was tension, a lack of control and panic at key moments."

Perpignan had held the previous run of Top 14 ineptitude when they slumped to 15 losses in a row at the start of the 2018-2019 season.

Agen are rock-bottom of the table with just two bonus points to their name and have not won a game since beating Brive 30-20 on February 22 last year.

At the top, Toulouse went down to their first defeat since November as Lyon carved out a 31-23 win.

Lyon's veteran 35-year-old fly-half Jonathan Wisniewski kicked two drop goals in the first half against his boyhood club before finishing with a 16-point haul.

Fiji-born French international winger Noa Nakaitaci scored two tries, taking his total for the season to eight as Toulouse saw their 11-game unbeaten run end.

Nakaitaci scored a hat-trick last weekend against Racing 92.

La Rochelle scratched out a 16-11 home victory over Stade Francais to move to the head of the table.

La Rochelle took the lead with a try after just five minutes.

From a lineout, scrum-half Thomas Berjon burst through the Stade defence and raced 40 metres to score his first La Rochelle try.

Jules Plisson converted and added a penalty after 17 minutes.