Castres unlikely lads line up tilt at the title
Montpellier will face Castres in an improbable battle for the Top 14 title at the Stade de France in Paris on Saturday.
Castres, by winning against all the odds 19-14 in a heart-stopping semi-final against Racing yesterday, and Montpellier by crushing the dreams of less resistant outsiders in Lyon 40-14 the night before.
But, whatever happens in the showpiece to come, Castres should be long remembered for this unlikely defeat of a Parisian team built on the £500 million fortune of Swiss real estate mogul Jackie Lorenzetti.
Not necessarily for the fact they represent a town of just 40,000 inhabitants as they are backed, too, by a giant pharmaceutical company that employs many of those people.
More for the never-say-die spirit that allowed them to survive a chunk of a cliff-hanging finale with just 14 men.
Racing, who had just seen their dreams of the Champions Cup destroyed by Leinster, will be devastated. It will take them some time to realise they will not be the ones to confront Montpellier for another tilt at glory.
Logically, as they finished just one point behind Montpellier and well beyond the rest at the end of the regular season, they should have been the ones to contest the showdown close to their home in the capital.
But there is no reasoning with Castres. They provided a miracle five years ago by finishing in sixth place before beating Toulon to the title. Yet again, they have managed to give themselves another shot at the trophy from the same modest spot.
And they did so by heroically preventing Racing from scoring a single point for almost the last hour of the game.
After Racing full-back Louis Dupichot, that is, had scored a second try in addition to one from Argentine winger Juan Imhoff to take a 14-10 lead. Tongan No.8 Maama Vaipula had scored an earlier try for Castres.
The two sides with the worst disciplinary record in the division were level on yellow cards, Racing’s Kiwi prop Ben Tameifuna and Julien Dumora, the Castres full-back, guilty of high tackles towards the end of each half. Neither proved punitive.
Castres somehow survived a long siege beneath their posts towards the close and were perhaps fortunate not to concede a penalty try or another yellow card in that hectic time.
Whether they can withstand the relentless pressure of Montpellier in this huge trial of their nerve and stamina is another matter.
For Montpellier, who won all their home games to top the table, do not rely solely on the power provided by giants like Fijian winger Nemeni Nadolo and South African lock Paul Willemse who topped and tailed their four tries against Lyon.
They also have a menacing centre in Alexandre Dumoulin, who created Nadolo’s try before scoring one of his own, and backrower Louis Picamoles alert enough to outwit Lyon with a quick free-kick for the third try.
But, more importantly, the £2 billion fortune Syrian-born president Mohed Altrad has secured through his global production of building materials, has allowed him to attract some of the greatest players on earth.
South African scrum-half Ruan Pienaar and All-Black fly-half Aaron Cruden, both recent recruits and world champions with their countries, for example.
Both had a dominating influence on a semi-final whose outcome was never in doubt.
Pienaar, 34, is a red-hot gospeller, a serious evangelist whose main task in life is to spread the religious word.
And, to that end, he is said to want a move back to Ulster where he spent five years resisting massive offers while trying to save souls.
In the meantime, Pienaar has given Montpellier, whose only trophy in seven years under Altrad is the European Challenge Cup, their first Top 14 final since they lost in 2011.
He was supreme with a flawless 17 points from the boot and so precise and timely with his hands.
Cruden, who had not reached the heights expected of him earlier in the season, has recently rediscovered the clinical, incisive approach that made his name.
He can once again summon memories of his glorious past in the Stade de France. Unlike his compatriot Dan Carter, an even greater presence in the Hall of Fame.
Racing might just have risked injury-troubled Carter on the bench in the semi-final but decided to preserve him for a final that went up in smoke, instead.
He will now leave for a golden goodbye to the game in Japan. Frederik Michalak, another major star, brought down the curtain, too, on an 18-year career, playing the last 20 minutes of Lyon’s defeat before joining their staff.
That is more time than Montpellier prop Jannie du Plessis might be allowed in the final. He has been cited for a suspected forearm smash into the chin of Lyon flanker and captain Julien Puricelli.
The case will be heard in the next few days and is almost certain to rule him out. A mere incidental for Montpellier fans, no doubt.
Castres boss Christophe Urious would disagree. He could also be on the move, win or lose after giving his board an ultimatum to back him with hard cash.
Toulon, who look likely to sack Fabien Galthie, are watching closely.
“Dan Carter will now leave for a golden goodbye to the game in Japan”