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Highlights: Northampton Saints v Castres Olympique - 20/01/2014 11:42
Northampton go into the final game of the pool stages hoping a bonus point win could earn them a place in the quarter-finals as pool winners.
Saints would need help from the Ospreys against Pool 1 leaders Leinster in Ireland to snatch a place in the knock-out stages.
Jim Mallinder’s side will secure at least a place in the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals with a maximum point win but they have not given up on progressing further in the Heineken Cup, where a win of any sorts may see them sneak in as the second-best runners up if a series of other results got their way.
But back-row Tom Wood admits they are wary of Castres despite the French side being out of contention to qualify for the last eight in either competition.
“We’re going to concentrate on us,” said Wood. “We don’t know what to expect from Castres as they are already out of the Heineken Cup, but whether they send a ‘Z’ team or pick all their stars, it’ll still be a side packed with internationals.
“In many ways, a second or third team can often make life more difficult in this situation, particularly in terms of our preparation and analysis. Also, those guys will be chomping at the bit to get an opportunity and put their case forward with nothing to lose.
“They can be a pretty dangerous animal so we have to make sure we concentrate on what we have to do, tidy a few bits up from last week and freshen up a bit.”
French champions Castres will be looking for a repeat of Round 1 when they beat Northampton 19-13 with wing Romain Martial scoring an 80metre interception try. The two sides are familiar foes, having played each other seven times in four seasons, with Northampton having won all their home games but just once in France.
Castres managed to frustrate Northampton in the previous meeting between the two sides despite being in possession for just 11 minutes and 11 seconds compared to Northampton’s 18 minutes and 19 seconds.
Match facts
The last three matches between the clubs has seen the loser gain a bonus point (Castres W2 L1)
Northampton's Courtney Lawes has stolen more opposition lineouts (6) than any other player this season.
Teammate Tom Wood has won more lineouts (exluding steals) than any other player (23).
Le champion de France a longtemps résisté face à Northampton avant de céder (13-3). Le rêve d'une qualification en Amlin Challenge Cup s'est effondré dans les dernières minutes de leur parcours européen. - 17/01/2014 22:29
Northampton Saints moved into one of the Heineken Cup quarter-final qualifying positions, but they face an uneasy weekend after reaching 17 points to end as runners-up in Pool 1.
It took a last minute charge down try from centre George Pisi to provide any real daylight between the two teams in a game that looked destiend to end as a draw until Syephen Myler landed his second penalty goal three minutes from time.
A number of teams can overtake them and bag the last runners-up spot over the weekend. Cardiff Blues need five points to reach 18, while Saracens will overtake them both if they beat Connacht with or without a bonus point.
Connach can also reach 18 with a bonus point win at Saracens and Edinburgh and Harlequins can both reach 17 and could beat the Saints tally of 11 tries. It all adds up to a nail biting weekend for Jim Mallinder and his players.
But at least the Saints fans can look forward to some more European action this season with their team now firmly in the hunt for one of the three runners-up spots in the Heineken Cup that move into the Amlin Challenge Cup quarter-finals.
Both teams knew they were in with a chance of some more action if they won the game and finished as runners-up to Leinster in the Pool. Castres showed why they are French champions with a dogged display in which their defence was superb.
They thought they had taken the lead through a try by wing Remi Grosso in the first half, but referee Alain Rolland asked the TMO to check which ball had been used for a quick throw in and the try was ruled out. It meant the only score of a first half in which the home scrum was the dominant force came with the last kick of the half.
Castres conceded a penalty in their 22 and Myler broke the deadlock with a simple kick. Castres had a clear cut chance to score in the second half when Marcel Garvey broken clear, but he slipped in the home 22 and failed to get his pass away.
Replacement scrum half Rory Kockott then levelled the scores with a penalty on 54 minutes and it looked as though the game was going to end all-square. But man of the match Tom Wood set-up Courtney Lawes for a barnstorming run into the Castres 22 four minutes from time and a penalty at the ensuing ruck allowed Myler to make it 6-3.
Then, just to make things safe for the Saints, Pisi charged down a Kockott kick on the Castres 22, regathered and dived over for a try which Glenn Dickson converted.
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