Clermont eye 4th spot with win over Castres

Stade Marcel Michelin will be the venue for Clermont’s much anticipated clash with Castres.

Clermont are knocking on the door of the top four, currently just four points behind Toulon, with seven victories posted from their 13 outings thus far.

Castres have been somewhat below par overall, with just six wins from thirteen fixtures which is good enough for ninth position on the log. They have, however, enjoyed a decent run of form of late and a win this weekend would make it four in a row for them. Their most recent clash was with the struggling Agen in Round 18, which Castres handled without much difficulty with a final score of 39-23.

Clermont put Pau away 42-31 in Round 18 in a thrilling encounter with tries galore. Clermont had to dig deep and managed to pull the game out from under their opponents who, for a while, looked as though they might make it their own.

It was a decidedly one-sided affair the last time Clermont and Castres crossed swords – in Round 12 – where Castres only answered 12 points to Clermont’s 40.

A Castres victory in this fixture would be considered an upset considering the venue and traditional strength of Clermont. However, Castres are enjoying a winning streak which will have filled their confidence to the brim and could potentially pull a rabbit out of the hat this weekend.