Castres (AFP)
Racing won a fourth victory in a row in Castres on Saturday, an improved success which enabled the Ile-de-France team to gain a place in the Top 14 ranking (4th), on equal points with La Rochelle (3rd).
Yet deprived of Camille Chat, Bernard Le Roux, Boris Palu, Virimi Vakatawa and Teddy Thomas, retained with the French team to prepare for the Six Nations Tournament, Racing quickly got hold of the match to lead 17-0 after 20 minutes of play.
After a penalty from Machenaud, the back Dulin scored a try between the posts (8th), served by the Scottish opener Russell, on a fast melee outing from Machenaud, which surprised the defense of the Castres.
Ten minutes later, it was the three quarter-center Chavancy that flattened at the end of the line following a good series of assists (21st).
In the same place, Brice Dulin added to the cost by flattening in the in-goal a pass at the foot of the Argentinian Imhoff (35).
Already at the torture 15 to 15, Castres played at 14 the last half hour, after the red card received by Marc-Antoine Rallier for a shoulder load on the head of Claasen.
And the people of Castres have yielded once again following a surge in the Ile-de-France armada, concluded by the hooker Baubigny (67).
Twelfth with 23 points, in the first non-relegation position, the Castres Olympique only have 3 points ahead of the 13th, the Stade Français, which plays in Clermont at 8:45 p.m.
The Castres players left the field under a bronca of 10,000 spectators from the Pierre-Fabre stadium.
On the 15th day, mid-February after the international break, Racing will receive the outgoing champion Toulouse, and Castres will go to Agen, in a duel of poorly classified.
© 2020 AFP