Castres Olympique has definitely had a superb season. Winners of the USAP this Sunday evening (28-12) at Pierre Fabre, the Castres ensured their qualification for the final phase of the Top 14 at the end of the 25th day. This is the 16th win of the season for the CO which joins the leader Montpellier and the Union Bordeaux-Bègles also qualified since the day before. Toulouse, by winning at Brive on Saturday (26-8), recovered 6th qualifying place, one game from the end of the regular season.
Castres can still dream of one of the first two places synonymous with direct qualification in the semi-finals before its last match of the regular season, Sunday June 5 in Pau. Beaten for the fifth consecutive time outside, the Catalans however missed the opportunity to get rid of their 13th place and this barrage of all dangers.
Summary of the game
The match was not without difficulty for the CO. Despite the premature exit of Perpignan international back Melvyn Jaminet, expected in Toulouse next season, and a start to the match in favor of Castres, the USAP has however long thwarted the Tarn plans thanks to the success at the foot of its opener Tristan Tedder. Reduced to fourteen (Lam, 39), the Catalans finally cracked on a penalty try coupled with a second yellow card (Delguy, 40 + 3) which allowed Castres yet drafts to lead at the break (18-12) .
Again penalized with a yellow card (Lotrian, 64) Perpignan resisted courageously until ten minutes from time before Filipo Nakosi scored the third try of his own (28-12, 74).