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Castres Olympique and Racing 92 will both aim to bounce back from Round 2 defeat on Saturday evening as Pool 4 heats up with an all Top 14 clash at the Stade Pierre Fabre
Castres Olympique and Racing 92 will both aim to bounce back from Round 2 defeat on Saturday evening as Pool 4 heats up with an all Top 14 clash at the Stade Pierre Fabre, live on Sky Sports.
- Saturday's hosts Castres Olympique were run off their feet in a 54-29 reverse at the hands of Leicester Tigers last time out in Europe, but have gone on to win their last five French top flight fixtures since.
- Meanwhile, heavyweights Racing 92 head into Round 3, the first weekend of the European double-headers, on the back of defeat, having lost 27-17 to Stade Francais Paris last weekend in the Top 14 – while they were ground out by Munster Rugby in Round 2 of the Champions Cup, losing 14-7 at Thomond Park.
- This showdown will be the second time the teams have met this season – albeit the first time ever in Europe, their lone previous meeting this campaign came in the opening weekend of the Top 14, where Racing 92 edged a close encounter, winning 25-21 on home soil.
- Castres Olympique have only lost once at the Stade Pierre Fabre this term, to Montpellier, and come into back-to-back European weekends on the crest of a five-match winning run.
Castres Olympique fought from behind to defeat Top 14 rivals Racing 92 and move top of European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 4 with a 16-13 triumph at the Stade Pierre Fabre on Saturday evening. - 09/12/2017 19:41
Castres Olympique fought from behind to defeat Top 14 rivals Racing 92 and move top of European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 4 with a 16-13 triumph at the Stade Pierre Fabre on Saturday evening.
- Maama Vaipulu scored the lone Castres Olympique try of the match in the 74th minute to clinch a late victory, which saw the hosts move to the Pool 4 summit, taking a one-point lead over Munster Rugby and Leicester Tigers, who go head-to-head in Limerick in Saturday's final fixture.
- A scrappy opening quarter saw an exchange of penalty kicks between Benjamin Urdapilleta and Maxime Machenaud, but Racing 92 should arguably have been in the lead.
- France winger Teddy Thomas strolled over the whitewash, but was made to pay for his nonchalance as he ended up knocking on as he sought to dot down under the posts.
- Urdapilleta and Machenaud both doubled their tally before the break as the sides went in at half-time locked at 6-6, and Racing 92 could, and should, have again scored but it was Camille Chat who knocked on when clear early in the second period.
- Edwin Make did take the first try of the match for Racing 92 as he evaded an attempted Robert Ebersohn tackle to bundle over, but Vaipulu's score, converted by Urdapilleta brought the hosts back on level terms.
- Urdapilleta's metronomic boot would have the final say as he drove a penalty between the uprights to make his record four kicks from four and take Castres Olympique to the top of Pool 4 ahead of a rematch with their Top 14 counterparts next weekend.
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