Northampton, the unfortunate finalist of the last edition, dominated an enterprising Castres team (49-41) in the Champions Cup round of 16 on Friday and advanced to the Top 8 for the third consecutive year.
Castres’ journey ended once again on Northampton’s turf, where they were defeated last year, while the Saints will face another English club in the quarterfinals, awaiting the winner of the Bath versus Saracens match scheduled for Saturday (4pm).
The Saints struggled against CO, were sometimes undisciplined and lacked clarity, but remained in the game and pulled ahead in a messy second half.
The CO made a strong start, with Christian Ambadiang and Théo Chabouni scoring two quick tries (12-0, 12th minute). However, they lost focus after altercations with English star Henry Pollock, receiving two consecutive yellow cards, allowing the English champions to close the gap (15-14, 24th minute).
The English team found their stride after halftime, exploiting defensive weaknesses with well-executed passes. They scored through Freeman (52nd), Furbank (59th), as well as Kemeny (43rd) and McParland (64th). Leading on the scoreboard was further boosted by the flawless kicking of Saints’ French fly-half Anthony Belleau, with a perfect 6/6.
Despite their recent struggles in the league, Castres responded strongly to English pressure, showing resilience and collective talent. Vuate Karawalevu stood out, scoring an important try before being substituted due to injury.
Similar to last season’s quarterfinal, Castres received a third yellow card, this time to Ramototabua (70th) for a high tackle, which dashed their remaining hopes, leading to a penalty kick by Dingwall (49-34, 71st).
Northampton’s journey continues, possibly facing more French teams in the semifinals, sharing the same bracket as Toulouse and Bordeaux-Bègles, their conqueror in the last final.
