Castres (AFP)
Castres, thanks to 33 points from his Argentinian opener Benjamin Urdapilleta, a new Top 14 record, walked on Saturday against Montpellier (48-17) which sinks a little more into the crisis after this eighth defeat in nine games.
During this 16th day of the Top 14, the Hérault residents, in full distress since the start of the season, thought they could glimpse the light after their improved victory against Stade Français (31-9) on the last day, it's a failure!
Thirteen defeats in 17 matches, including four in a row away: the MHR remains stuck in 12th place with only five points more than Bayonne, barrage, which has two games less.
The situation remains critical and Philippe Saint-André, inducted on January 3 instead of Xavier Garbajosa, has so far been unable to reverse the trend.
It has already been six defeats in seven matches since taking office.
In this knife duel to move away from 13th place, Castres did the right thing thanks to his third victory in a row at Pierre-Fabre.
Ninth, the CO now has eleven points ahead of its victim of the day and can even now start dreaming of the Top 6 after this enhanced victory.
Yet ideally left to lead 11-3 after a try from Vincent (18th), the Montpellier ones too quickly ran out of steam and, after a scoring duel, it was finally the Tarn winger Filipo Nakosi who first allowed his to join the locker room in the lead (23-17).
The beginning of the end for the Cistes.
Hyper realistic, the CO was again at the start of the second act on a ball countered by Rory Kockott, faster than Paillaugue to flatten (30-17).
Without reaction and resigned, the MHR then sank, allowing the Castres opening half Urdapilleta, author of two tries, to register 33 points in total.
The previous Top 14 record was 32 points, jointly held by Cédric Rosalen with Narbonne in 2006-2007 and Benjamin Boyet with Aviron Bayonnais in 2012-2013.
© 2021 AFP