Top 14: La Rochelle end Castres' long unbeaten home run

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle ended a long-standing unbeaten Top 14 home run as they beat Castres 32-17 at Stade Pierre Fabre

Sat, 18 Feb, 2023 - 22:16

James Harrington

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle ended a long-standing unbeaten Top 14 home run as they beat Castres 32-17 at Stade Pierre Fabre to leave last season’s losing domestic finalists precariously close to the relegation spots with just eight matches to play.

As O’Gara prowled the touchline, ban served, the Rochelais’ first win in three matches came courtesy of a pragmatic gameplan that brought the hosts’ 30-match unbeaten domestic record, dating back to December 22, 2020, to a shuddering halt.

There was no secret to the victory. La Rochelle were simply the better side. They took the points offered to them - and they came on a platter. Antoine Hastoy landed six penalties and converted both UJ Seuteni and Joel Sclavi’s tries as they recorded their first domestic win in three matches.

Fullback Brice Dulin, who won the Bouclier de Brennus with Castres in 2013, described the manner of the Maritimes’ win as, "a great performance”.

“It was important to win after losing our last two games,” he told broadcaster Canal Plus immediately after the final whistle. “We were consistent for 80 minutes, despite the tries we conceded. In away games, you have to be pragmatic, and we did everything right.”

As important as the win was, both La Rochelle and France were as keen to see Jonathan Danty and Pierre Bourgarit return after injury. Danty, already recalled to Fabien Galthie’s extended squad for next weekend’s Six Nations match against Scotland, came on after Seuteni suffered a head injury at the end of the first half. Bourgarit, meanwhile, played 30 minutes on his first outing since early January.

Baptiste Serin’s 78th-minute try put an engrossing match between Toulon and Toulouse at Marseille’s Orange Velodrome beyond doubt - but there was still plenty of action to come in a match that had already seen Sergio Parisse sent off after 30 minutes and Rynhardt Elstadt red carded after 73 minutes.

Even after Serin’s score had settled the result, Toulon pushed for what would have been an audacious bonus-point try after the hooter, and the visitors’ Arthur Retiere was pushed into touch as he slid towards the tryline for an unlikely losing bonus.

“Today, God was with us,” Camille Lopez smiled, minutes after his 82nd-minute penalty gave Bayonne their ninth home win in as many matches at Stade Jean-Dauger this season, as they beat Stade Francais 29-26.

Xavier Garbajosa’s Lyon consolidated third place in the table with their fourth win in a row. They beat reigning champions Montpellier - for whom Gloucester-bound backrow Zach Mercer was stretchered off early - 31-21. It was the visitors’ third loss in as many matches.

Elsewhere, Scotland fly-half Finn Russell was an unused replacement as Racing 92 beat Brive 34-24 at La Defense Arena. Perpignan, meanwhile, beat Pau 49-29 at Stade Aime-Giral, twin results that saw Brive slip to the bottom of the table.

Nearly two months to the day after he was ousted as manager of Bordeaux, Christophe Urios returns to Stade Chaban Delmas on Sunday, looking for his second win in three matches since taking charge at Clermont.