Chiefs let it slip after Castres are hit by red card
EXETER are struggling to impose themselves in European Cup rugby to the degree that they do in the Premiership, and this intense clash at the Stade PierreFabre was a case in point.
After a blistering start in which the Devon side scored two tries in quick succession, they were unable to press home their advantage when Castres were reduced to 14 men after their No.8 Maama Vaipulu was sent off just before half-time.
Vaipulu was red carded by referee John Lacey for a high hit, with the point of his shoulder smashing Exeter hooker Luke CowanDickie in the face. However, the reigning French champions have a proud home record, and they demonstrated why with a stirring second-half defensive effort which saw them go ahead thanks to a Steve Mafi try, and then hold the English side at bay.
Exeter were far better when Castres were at full strength, and got off to a flying start when Santiago Cordero took a long pass from Henry Slade before cutting inside Vaipulu and holding off full-back Armand Batlle to plant the ball on the line.
After Gareth Steenson converted, the Chiefs used a scrum penalty to kick for the corner and went to their driving maul. At the second attempt Matt Kvesic went through the middle to score their second try, which Steenson converted for 14-0.
However, with the Castres forwards counter- rucking fiercely and effectively, the tide began to turn. Centre Florian Vialelle sliced through from an inside pass by fly-half Julien Dumora, and when he converted and followed it with a penalty and a dropgoal – after a thunderous break by Mafi – Castres were within striking range at 14-13.
On the half-hour another penalty from the clinical Dumora gave Castres the lead for the first time at 16-14 before he was forced off with an injury, and replaced by Yohan Le Bourhis, who promptly kicked a penalty for 19-14.
At that juncture the match took another twist with Vaipulu sent packing and Le Bourhis almost instantly gifting Exeter a try when Steenson charged down his clearance.
The Exeter fly half ’s conversion levelled it 19-19 at half-time, and with a man advantage the Premiership side looked well set.
That proved to be an illusion when the marauding Mafi made the most of poor Exeter tackling to score five minutes into the second half, shrugging off Tom Lawday on the edge of the 22 and rounding Phil Dollman.
After Le Bourhis converted to make it 26-19, and then exchanged penalties with Steenson to take it to 29-22, Exeter still had half an hour in which to breach the Castres wall.
However, with French international scrum-half Rory Kockott coming off the bench to win a couple of breakdown turn-overs, Exeter had to make do with a Steenson penalty.
They could make no further headway, and were fortunate not to concede a try when Vialelle was pushed over by Slade as he chased his hack into the ingoal after a Cordero fumble.
Le Bourhis missed the penalty. But by that stage 14 man Castres had done a number on them, and the chance of a crucial away win had gone begging.