IT WAS TOUGH and it was tight but Leinster just about eked out a priceless away win against Castres. They were behind until the last five minutes when a couple of Eoin Reddan breaks enabled Leinster to engineer two penalties for Ian Madigan to convert to give the province a 21-16 victory.
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Hello everyone, welcome to our Castres vs Leinster liveblog.
We’ll start off with the teams, shall we?
Castres: 15 Geoffrey Palis, 14 Max Evans, 13 Christopher Tuatara-Morrison, 12 Romain Cabannes, 11 Remi Grosso, 10 Remi Tales (c), 9 Cedric Garcia, 8 Jannie Bornman, 7 Yannick Caballero, 6 Piula Faasalele, 5 Rodrigo Capo Ortega, 4 Richie Gray, 3 Ramiro Herrera, 2 Brice Mach, 1 Saimone Taumoepeau.
Replacements: 16 Mathieu Bonello, 17 Mihaita Lazar, 18 Yohan Montes, 19 Christophe Samson, 20 Mathieu Babillot, 21 Romain Martial, 22 Julien Dumora, 23 Antoine Dupont.
Leinster: 15 Zane Kirchner, 14 Darragh Fanning, 13 Gordon D’Arcy, 12 Ian Madigan, 11 Luke Fitzgerald, 10 Jimmy Gopperth, 9 Isaac Boss, 8 Jamie Heaslip (c), 7 Dominic Ryan, 6 Rhys Ruddock, 5 Kane Douglas, 4 Devin Toner, 3 Michael Bent, 2 Sean Cronin, 1 Jack McGrath.
Replacements: 16 Richardt Strauss, 17 Ed Byrne, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Mike McCarthy, 20 Jack Conan, 21 Eoin Reddan, 22 Noel Reid, 23 Mick McGrath.
Castres don’t have star scrum-half Rory Kockott or their poaching flanker Ibrahim Diarra in their 22, so after one game and one loss, they seem to have already given up on the Champions Cup to focus on their league form.
That said, they still have talent in their squad, with Racing Metro bound out-half Remi Tales being someone Leinster will have to watch closely.
This is a sight that Leinster fans will love to see. How do people think Luke Fitzgerald will do on his return?
There has been a late change for Castres due to an illness suffered by Jannie Bornman and now Diarra IS on the bench.
For the punters out there, Leinster are three point favourites.
Castres are 7/5, Leinster are 8/13 and a draw is 20/1.
Also, Ian Madigan is 11/4 to score a try at any time during the game. Good odds conisdering his recent form, no?
And Luke Fitzgerald is 15/8 to score any time, 9/1 to score first and 45/1 to score a hat-trick.
Leinster go to France in expectation rather than hope now, but that wasn’t always the case. We looked back at Leinster’s first European Cup game in France and how physical it was.
Gordon D’Arcy left the ground in a wheelchair after this incident.
Speaking of D’Arcy, it is his 100th European Cup game for Leinster today. Here is a look at his career by the numbers.
Leinster are ravaged by injuries, but this is a huge opportunity for them today with Harlequins playing away to Wasps. Leinster will be confident of getting a result after their powerful comeback at the same venue last season. A Leinster win coupled with a Quins loss will put the province in firm control of the pool.
There are fans supporting Leinster all over the world.
Strange that Remi Tales is still the Castres captain despite already agreeing to join Racing Metro. Would it not be better to appoint someone who wants to be there?
Here’s a quick reminder of what Luke Fitzgerald can do, in case you had forgotten.
And we are off!
Castres claim the opening kick-off and Tales clears to his own ten metre line.
Sean Cronin’s throw isn’t straight. The lineout throwing of the Irish hookers has not been good in the Champions Cup so far, except for Duncan Casey, who isn’t in Joe Schmidt’s squad.
It’s a beautiful day in Castres today, hopefully we get some running rugby to match. Meanwhile, a probing Tales kick is taken into touch by Madigan in Leinster’s 22.
TRY CASTRES! Castres 7-0 Leinster
A strong rolling maul goes over the line and Castres touch down. Will get the scorer in a moment, was tough to see who grounded it. Tales converts.
Just like last year, Leinster concede an early try. They were 14-0 down last year before launching a comeback and they won’t want to have to repeat that trick.
Great response by Leinster, and they are in the Castres 22 after strong carries from Cronin and Heaslip.
Douglas gets smashed by prop Herrera and knocks the ball on. Scrum Castres about ten yards from the Castres line.
The Castres try was scored by second row Rodrigo Capo Ortega. The Castres scrum is sloppy and Madigan almost poaches the ball near the line by eventually the home side clear the ball to outside their 22.
Leinster just outside the 22 again but after Gopperth takes the ball to the line, Castres strip the ball and Tales kicks the ball into the Leinster half. Kirchner gets his hands on the ball and brings play into the Castres half. The home side have a lineout on their own ten metre line.
Leinster are awarded a penalty just inside their own half after Piula Faasalele is penalised for not rolling away. Leinster have a lineout 15 yards from the Castres line.
Leinster recycle the ball through the hands but a big hit from Castres on Dominic Ryan results in a Leinster turnover five yards from the line. Leinster have possession again and win a penalty in front of the posts on the 22 after Castres don’t roll away. Madigan will have a shot at goal.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 7-3 Leinster
Madigan kicks the easy penalty and Leinster are on the board. Good response from the visitors since the try.
There was a big collision in the air between Zane Kirchner and Geoffrey Palis but the ref says they were both going for the ball and waves play on. Palis landed very heavily but appears to be okay.
A lovely chip by Madigan in the Castres 22 almost bounces perfectly for Darragh Fanning but Palis knocks on contesting for it and Leinster have a scrum on the right wing 20 yards out.
Michael Bent gets destroyed at the scrum by Ramiro Herrera and Castres have a penalty.
Stuart Barnes is using a level of praise for the Castres prop that he usually reserves for Tom Croft.
Castres kick back to Leinster but the visitors win the kicking battle and pin the home side back to their own 22.
Luke Fitzgerald claims a high ball with authority and after Madigan attempts to go wide with a long pass Mathieu Babillot gets penalised for a deliberate knock on. Madigan will go for the posts from the ten metre line in a fairly central area.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 7-6 Leinster
Huge penalty by Madigan cuts the deficit to a point. Really nice kick by the centre.
Castres knock on from the kick-off and Kirchner rifles a brilliant kick that pins the home side back on their five metre line. Leinster have kicked brilliantly so far.
Castres clear their lines but Leinster are coming at them again and have possession just outside the 22.
Castres’ defence is strong and Boss is forced to kick. It’s a bad one though and it goes out on the full. Leinster have had plenty of possession but haven’t be able to breach the Castres defence.
Tales launches a high ball into the Leinster half and Kirchner cannot hold it. Castres have a central scrum on the Leinster ten metre line.
Castres knock on and Leinster have a chance to counter. D’Arcy kicks to touch in the Leinster half and Madigan is down after Herrera smashes the centre.
Think this sums up the Leinster performance pretty well.
D’Arcy has had a quiet outing so far and he just dropped a routine pass from Gopperth. Castres have a lineout just inside their own half with five minutes to go.
Castres go off their feet at a ruck in midfield and Madigan will have a kick from the ten metre line in front of the posts to give Leinster the lead.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 7-9 Leinster
Madigan gives Leinster their first lead and it is a deserved one. They have controlled the game and the territory since the concession of that early try.
Leinster get a maul going down the right wing and flanker Piula Faasalele gets penalised for collapsing it. Madigan has another kick to extend Leinster’s lead from about 45m out to the right of the posts.
HT Castres 7-9 Leinster
Madigan’s kicks goes just wide and Leinster have a slender half time lead in France.
Leinster will be happy with that half. Remi Tales has been bright for Castres but besides their early rolling maul, they have barely been in Leinster’s half.
One disappointment for Leinster will be how little they have got out of the Castres defence despite having a lot of possession and territory.
Still, an improvement on last season where Leinster conceded two early tries.
Some half time commentary from the world of Twitter.
Defences have been on top so far.
Despite missing a kick right on half time, Madigan has been good off the tee today. All of his penalties have been from distance.
And we are off in the second half!
A Tales offload outside the Leinster 22 is knocked on by Saimone Taumoepeau and Leinster have a scrum.
Herrera turns on the power once again and Castres win another penalty.
Penalty Castres! Castres 10-9 Leinster
Tales kicks the straightforward penalty and the home side are back in the lead.
Leinster turn the ball over from the restart and after great carries from Heaslip and Cronin, they have possession ten yards from the Castres line.
Madigan throws a dummy and gets close but Leinster win a penalty after D’Arcy is taken out off the ball.
Madigan will go for goal about 20 yards out and just to the left of the posts.
Bad miss by Madigan as he hooks the ball against the post. Castres will have a 22 drop out.
Heaslip claims the drop out by Jimmy Gopperth throws a forward pass and Castres have a scrum. Stuart Barnes doesn’t like Gopperth constantly looking to throw inside passes.
Castres win another penalty at the scrum and Palis will have a central shot at goal just inside the Leinster half.
He had the distance but his kick goes wide. Also, Ibrahim Diarra has just come on for Mathieu Babillot.
Castres have possession just over the Leinster ten metre line. They have already had more ball in the first ten minutes of this half than they had in the entire first half.
Boss gets penalised for taking out Castres scrum-half Cedric Garcia and Palis will take another long range kick at goal.
Penalty Castres! Castres 13-9 Leinster
Palis nails it and from the kick-off Toner gets penalised for a high tackle. Leinster’s discipline was impeccable in the first half but they have already given away four penalties in this half.
Reddan is on for Boss and Leinster are penalised again for collapsing the Castres maul. Palis will take another shot at goal from wide on the left hand side on the Leinster ten metre line.
Penalty Castres! Castres 16-9 Leinster
Palis is successful again and Leinster’s disastrous start to the half continues.
Richie Gray knocks on from the restart but Castres win a free kick at the scrum and clear the ball into the Leinster half.
Big penalty for Leinster after Richie Gray goes off his feet in the Leinster half. It is all Castres at the moment and their pack are carrying with intent and making good yards. Leinster have a lineout outside the Castres 22 now though, and have a chance to launch an attack.
D’Arcy is off for Noel Reid now and Cronin has just thrown in crooked again so Castres have a scrum on halfway.
Leinster respond with a huge scrum and turnover the ball. Big moment for the visitors and they have a penalty.
Madigan will go for the posts. Would be a monster kick from wide right on the Castres ten metre line.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 16-12 Leinster
Massive score for Leinster because the game was starting to slip away from them. This isn’t an easy ground to win in and Leinster will need to deliver something more than they have so far because their backline just hasn’t fired yet.
Leinster have the ball inside their own half and Cronin of all people is the one who puts boot to ball. Palis clear to his own ten and Leinster have a lineout.
Leinster try that old Joe Schmidt inside/outside favourite and Kirchner almost breaks through. The visitors are getting more of a foothold now, and have the ball in Castres territory.
Leinster’s pressure tells as Castres are forced to slow down the ball and Madigan will have a chance to reduce the gap.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 16-15 Leinster
Madigan cuts the gap to one as Strauss comes on for Cronin.
Tadhg Furlong is on for Michael Bent too. Fanning knocks on a bouncing ball and Castres have a scrum right just inside their own half.
Leinster defend well after Tales makes a half-break and after holding up Herrera, they win a scrum. They will have to attack from just outside their own 22. Rhys Ruddock has been replaced by Jack Conan.
This is the age difference between Eoin Reddan and Castres’ sub scrum-half.
Eoin Reddan makes a searing break from the base of the scrum but his pass can’t find Ian Madigan outside him and Castres smuggle the ball back. They try to go wide but knock the ball on out on the right wing and Leinster have a scrum in Castres territory.
Can they somehow force a scrum penalty to give Madigan a chance to win the game?
They go wide from the scrum and after Jamie Heaslip is tackled high just outside the 22, Leinster are awarded a penalty. Stupid tackle from Piula Faasalele and Madigan will have a straightforward kick to give Leinster the lead.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 16-18 Leinster
Madigan makes no mistake and Leinster have a slender lead with three minutes to go.
A Gopperth kicks rolls over the line and Castres have a 22 drop out. Two and a half left.
Reddan snipes again beautifully and Leinster have the ball outside the Castres 22. Then second row Rodrigo Capo Ortega clears out Devin Toner with no arms and Madigan has a chance to make the game safe.
Penalty Leinster! Castres 16-21 Leinster
Despite being asked to hurry by the ref, Madigan extends the Leinster lead.
FT Castres 16-21 Leinster
Leinster gather the restart and after going through two phases, Jamie Heaslip kicks it out.
Big win for Leinster and they just about deserved it overall. Reddan was huge when he came on and made two breaks that lead to Leinster winning those two late penalties.
That’s all for our liveblog today, thanks for joining us!
It wasn’t pretty (in fact, it was pretty damn ugly) but Leinster got a priceless away win in France and are set up very well to advance from their pool. The lack of cutting edge in the backline will be a worry but Matt O’Connor will hope that most of his side’s injuries will have healed by the time the back-to-back with Quins comes around.
