TOP14: Montpellier to face Toulon in semi-finals after victory over Castres
Last Updated: 12/06/16 7:21pm
Montpellier produced a typically bruising display to beat Castres 28-9 on Sunday and qualify for a TOP14 semi-final against Toulon.
It was the fifth time in six years the two sides had met in the Top 14 play-offs and Montpellier, who finished the regular season third to Castres' sixth, proved too powerful despite losing three of the previous encounters.
Montpellier opened the scoring on nine minutes through the boot of South African fly-half Demetri Catrakilis after the hosts' pack had rumbled up to within inches of the tryline.
Relief did not follow for Castres, who were under the cosh early on and desperately trying to hold out, but not even four defenders could stop a powerful five-metre drive from Fiji wing Timoci Nagusa in the 14th minute for an 8-0 lead.
Catrakilis and Urdapilleta then exchanged penalties before the break but Castres were left to rue a missed try.
Centre Remi Lamerat broke through two tackles and was heading for the tryline before being crowded out by back-tracking defenders on the Montpellier 22.
He kept the ball alive, and Castres went left where full-back Geoffrey Palis dropped the ball metres form the line.
The second half started off as a risk-averse kicking contest as Castres scrum-half Rory Kockott sent over a penalty after 49 minutes.
Kockott's opposite number Benoit Paillaugue then broke the gainline, and Francois Steyn bulldozed forward before second rower Paul Wilemse crashed through Kockott to score.
Another Kockott penalty kept Castres' hopes alive before replacement Montpellier prop Jannie du Plessis was sent to the bin for punching Mathieu Babillot in the stomach.
But that saw the game descend into farce at the next scrum as Montpellier were unable to field two props. Officials spent several minutes in discussion with Montpellier coaches before the game could continue with uncontested scrums, but only after Montpellier had sacrificed another player, leaving them with 13 against 15.
Despite the mismatch they stretched their lead with Catrakilis' third penalty.
Castres were in disarray and Anthony Tuitavake latched onto a bouncing midfield ball to break upfield and feed No 8 Pierre Spies to score with five minutes remaining to kill off any Castres hopes of a comeback.
Unsurprisingly, a bad-tempered encounter ended with yet another 30-man flare-up that left Jannie du Plessis with his shirt practically ripped off his back and a tearful Lamerat with blood around his eye.