Castres (AFP)
Castres confirmed his last victory in Lyon by dominating on Saturday at home the red lantern Agen 39-23 during the 14th day of the Top 14 after having yet still evolved outnumbered for almost the entire match.
The Castres had already seen red in the 4th minute last week after a tackle to the shoulder of Yann David on the Lyonnais Josua Tuisova (15-14).
This time, against Agen, it is the latter's half-brother, Fijian winger Filipo Nakosi, who this time was sent back to the locker room after only three minutes of play, for a similar gesture delayed.
Despite its nightmarish start, Castres Olympique, still behind 16-0 after half an hour of play, was able to raise its head to chain for the first time of the season a second consecutive victory.
A success, enhanced, which allows him to jump in the standings, from 12th to 9th place, while the other matches of this day upset by the Covid-19 will be played on Sunday.
The reshuffle carried out at the end of December within the Castres staff - with the promotion of Pierre-Henry Broncan as main trainer instead of Mauricio Reggiardo and the return of David Darricarrère - seems to have borne fruit.
The Tarnais could have paid dearly for Nakosi's early red card on the action of the first Agen try of the match, from the second minute, after a kick to be followed by winger Loris Tolot.
But like its last outings, SU Agen, which is still chasing its first victory of the season, was unable to capitalize on its good start to the match, nor on the indiscipline of Castrais cheered up by the first try their hooker Gaëtan Barlot in the 31st minute.
They added four more, including two for their winger Geoffrey Palis, very busy Saturday in the freshness of the Pierre-Fabre stadium.
The Agenais are only one unit from the record for consecutive defeats since the transition to a single pool.
The one established by Perpignan which had collected 15 in a row in 2018-2019.
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