Rugby: Townsend may be saying good-bye

Gregor Townsend looks to have played his last big game for Castres following the French club’s Heineken Cup semi-final demise against Munster in Beziers.

Scotland’s most-capped international has been tipped to make a return home.

That could mean fly-half playmaker Townsend linking up with Scotland’s newly-formed Borders professional outfit next season.

The Borders have already recruited Newcastle trio Gary Armstrong, Doddie Weir and George Graham while Saracens and Lions’ lock Scott Murray remains another big-name target.

‘‘I should be able to say something about my future later this week,’’ said Townsend, after Castres blew a nine-point lead and lost 25-17 at Stade de la Mediterranee.

Townsend has proved an influential performer during his time in the south of France, and there is no doubt Castres will miss his influence.

But if he does go to the Borders then they are sure to benefit from his quality and experience as they look to establish themselves in European competition.

Townsend, who captained Castres in the biggest game in their history, offered no excuses after Munster moved into their second Heineken final in three years.

The Irish outfit trailed 9-0 just before half-time. But two Ronan O’Gara penalties got them going, and they dominated the second period.

O’Gara’s goal-kicking won the day - he finished with 20 points from six penalties and a conversion of wing John Kelly’s injury-time try - but it was a mighty forward effort that undid Castres.

No player illustrated that more than young substitute Donnacha O’Callaghan, who went on as a 16-minute replacement for injured international Anthony Foley and played the game of his life.

Veteran war-horses Peter Clohessy and captain Mick Galwey, with a combined age of 70, also led from the front - and prop Clohessy can now look forward with relish to his farewell appearance in next month’s final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium.

Clohessy defied suffering serious burns to his right arm in a domestic garden fire barely three weeks ago. He was in the thick of Munster’s forward effort, despite blotting his copy book by being sin-binned following a first-half dust-up with opposite number Brent Moyle, who was also yellow-carded by English referee Chris White.

Munster’s 10,000-strong travelling army of supporters relished the success, which was their team’s second semi-final victory in three years on French soil.

‘‘The fans were fantastic,’’ said Galwey.

‘‘We knew they would be loud. But when they started singing the Fields of Athenry when we were warming up it gave us such a big lift. We had to make sure that we won for them.’’

Munster coach Declan Kidney, who joins the Irish national set-up at the end of this season, was suitably delighted with the overall team effort.

‘‘To have won two semi-finals in this competition in France is quite an achievement,’’ he said.

But, while Munster celebrated long into the Mediterranean evening, Townsend and Castres were left to reflect on what might have been.

‘‘We didn’t put enough points on the board in the first half,’’ he admitted.

‘We only had a 9-6 lead, and the guys were really disappointed in the dressing room because they had given it a huge effort.

"I thought we could have been at least 10 points ahead. But Munster played well in the second half, and once they scored that try in injury time then the game was over.

‘‘Munster have got a game plan and they stick to it. They wait for you to make mistakes and are very good at regrouping at various stages in a game.’’

Castres made all the early running, dominating territorially and moving clear on the scoreboard thanks to three penalties during a 15-minute spell from their unconventional goal-kicking full-back Romain Teulet.

Crucially, though, Castres allowed their discipline to slip and two quickfire O’Gara penalties reduced the arrears to 9-6 and gave Munster total belief that they could go and triumph.

Castres lost their French Grand Slam hooker Raphael Ibanez through injury at half-time and they sorely missed his direction and experience as the Munster forwards gradually took control.

Three more O’Gara strikes put them 15-9 ahead and, although Teulet’s fourth penalty suggested a Castres fightback, O’Gara finished them off before Kelly capitalised on loose possession inside the Castres half to sprint over unopposed from 30 metres.

Castres had the final say with a try in the eighth minute of injury time by their Scottish wing Shaun Longstaff.

But it was too little too late as Munster marched on towards another European final and the chance to erase memories of their defeat against Northampton at Twickenham two years ago.