O'Gara's La Rochelle suffer surprise second successive defeat

Sat, 06 Mar, 2021 - 22:00

James Harrington

The Top 14's two-week break cannot come soon enough for Ronan O Gara's La Rochelle, after they slipped to their second defeat in as many matches despite outscoring their opponents two tries to one.

A week after losing their unbeaten home record at the hands of Toulouse, a fatigued Rochelais were on the wrong end of a 22-15 defensive dogfight at Castres' Stade Pierre Fabre to lose two in a row for the first time this season.

They will welcome the two-week Six Nations break after a long block of games, which included last weekend's catch-up match.

For the second game in a row, ill-discipline cost the Atlantic coast side as they sought and failed to break down an organised and determined Castres defence, bolstered by international returnees Anthony Jelonch and Gaetan Barlot, while the hosts' Benjamin Urdapilleta was ready and able to punish every indiscretion.

A pair of touchdowns by centre Levani Botia and replacement scrum-half Thomas Berjon in four minutes as the clock ticked down came too late to count.

Castres, undefeated at home since the turn of the year, led 16-3 at half time - courtesy of Urdapilleta's boot and a try from fullback Julien Dumora - against the undisputed best defence in the Top 14, and were 22-3 ahead with 15 minutes left. It proved to be enough of an advantage to weather the late La Rochelle comeback.

Struggling Montpellier picked up a crucial home win in the weekend's opening encounter on Friday evening, beating Clermont 22-16 to ease away from the relegation play-off spot.

Toulouse scored four unanswered tries in the final quarter to pull away from a dogged Brive, picking up their seventh attacking bonus point of the season with a 42-17 win.

Stade Francais also picked up a useful bonus-point 40-21 victory over winless Agen, despite losing lock Paul Gabrillagues to a red card for a dangerous tackle after just 16 minutes.

Bordeaux, with French international fly-half Matthieu Jalibert filling in at fullback, scored a 29-23 win over Pau at Stade Chaban Delmas, while a late touchdown from promising young centre Pierre-Louis Barassi ensured Lyon headed home from 13th-placed Bayonne a 28-20 win - and four valuable points to maintain their challenge for the play-offs.

Meanwhile France's internationals were to the fore as Racing 92 - for whom Simon Zebo played the opening 48 minutes - lost a close encounter 25-21 at Stade Mayol. Toulouse's French winger Gabin Villiere opened the try-scoring for the hosts and Louis Carbonel scored 20 points with the boot, while Racing centre Virimi Vakatawa, on his return from a leg injury that kept him out of the early stages of the Six Nations, and lock Bernard Le Roux touched down for the visitors.