Racing are denied by the boot of nerveless Benjamin

CASTRES stayed in the hunt for a Champions Cup quarter-final place with a 10-point fightback in the closing minutes.

A second-half score from Racing lock Edwin Maka looked to be enough for the visitors in the first match of this double-header.

But with Racing leading 13-6 heading into the final ten minutes, the hosts struck to level the scores thanks to a try from No.8 Maama Vaipulu and Benjamin Urdapilleta’s conversion.

Not content with a draw, Castres marched back downfield and snatched victory thanks to the boot of Urdapilleta to leave Racing hanging on in Pool 4.

There was nothing to split the T14 sides at halftime as Maxime Machenaud and Urdapilleta landed a pair of penalties each to go in level at 6-6. But the breakthrough came on 52 minutes when giant Tongan Maka crashed over.

Machenaud converted to give his side a 13-6 lead, and it looked as if they would hold on for a vital win.

But the hosts utilised a four-man overlap to send Vaipulu blasting over at the posts to give Urdapilleta the simplest of conversions to level the score.

And nothing was going to stop Castres now. They surged downfield and earned a breakdown penalty which Urdapilleta was never going to miss.

But the result was only confirmed when Racing replacement Antoine Gibert, 19, pulled his late penalty wide.