Lyon

Rugby Rumours: Fearns Returns, Houston's problem, Ngwenya in Brive and Nau for Bristol

Rugby Rumours: Stuart in Super Rugby, Italian Job, Lyon eyeing Michalak and Argentine help

Rugby Rumours: Diamond wants English, Ireland for Addison and Return Customers in the Rumours

Rugby Rumours: Virimi Vakatawa, Cian Healy, Francois Hougaard, Vereniki Goneva

Canadian captain Cudmore gathers interest, French number 9 looks to the Aviva Premieship, Italian Rugby Federation talks to the Harlequin, O'Shea and Lozowski moving from Wasps?

Bath have confirmed that back-row forward Carl Fearns is to join French club Lyon.

Zebre won their first European match at the 14th time of asking as they beat Brive 26-21 while there were also European Rugby Challenge Cup wins for London Irish, La Rochelle, Newcastle and Edinburgh.

With the cold snap across France waning, the 18th round of the Top 14 sees a full complement of fixtures as the battle for the play-offs and relegation heats up.

With Phillipe Saint-André having announced his Six Nations squad on Thursday, the 30 men selected will be out to prove themselves worthy of making France's starting XV against Italy in one month's time.

The curtain fell on 2011 with Toulouse extending their lead at the top of the Top 14 table, after Clermont Auvergne were held up at Lyon. Elsewhere there were surprise victories for Bordeaux-Bègles and Biarritz.