Big Vern’s French revolution ready to claim another head

CASTRES take on regular-season table-toppers Montpellier in a mouthwatering French Top 14 rugby union final at Stade de France this evening – and it is live on Sky. Montpellier finished a point clear of Racing in the league and qualified for tonight’s final by thrashing Lyon 40-14 in an utterly dominant display. Lyon’s former France star Frederic Michalak came on as a late substitute to a standing ovation in his last game for the club and reflected afterwards that, “They were just too strong and didn’t allow us to play”. Unsurprisingly Kiwi coach Vern Cotter

and his men go into tonight’s showdown as warm 1-4 favourites with Betfred and BetVictor. Outsiders Castres are 16-5 with Unibet.

This is Castres’ first Top 14 final since 2014 and they reached this stage thanks to an attritional 19-14 win over better-fancied Racing.

Their victory owed everything to the boot of Benjamin Urdapilleta who kicked 14 points. Christophe Urios’ side have done well to reach this stage but it will reward punters to pay heed to regular-season form where Castres only just snatched a play-off place with a late surge.

Bookmakers make Montpellier 10-11 giving up nine points on the handicap and this looks a bet as the favourites have a potential match-winner in the shape of 34-year-old South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar.

The 2007 World Cup winner was in complete control in his sides’ semi-final win, grabbing three tries, scoring four conversions and adding three penalties for good measure. In tomorrow’s MotoGP Grand Prix of Italy from the Mugello Circuit (live on BT Sport), last year’s winner Andrea Dovizioso (Ducati) is 2-1.

However the Italian is 49 points behind 6-4 chance Marc Marquez in the standings and the Spaniard looks on course for more success this weekend.