Mon 12 Mar 2012 | 06:20
Toulouse come from behind twice to snatch win over Castres

6
Comments

Toulouse and Castres were involved in one of the Top 14 games of the weekend at the Stade Ernest Wallon on Saturday, with the home side coming away 34-27 winners after a late comeback. Seven tries were scored in total.

Fighting back from a 14 point deficit, Toulouse sealed the win with a late try by Gillian Galan following a well placed crosskick by former All Black Luke McAlister.

Earlier on Castres had shot to a 14-0 lead before Toulouse fought back to take the lead early in the second half. The see-saw battle continued with Castres reclaiming the lead through a Yannick Caballero try off the back of the scrum.

Two penalties from Pierre Bernard looked to have buried the defending champions, who were missing a host of players due to Six Nations duty. Florian Fritz brought them back into contention though, before Galan had the final say with only a few minutes left in the contest.

Toulouse maintain their place at the top of the table, leading Clermont by four points.

Other than a host of French stars, keep an eye out for flying Fijian Timoci Matanavou, Kiwi's Chris Masoe and Luke McAlister, Wallaby Luke Burgess, Samoan Cencus Johnston, Argentinian Patricio Albacete, and South African's Gurthro Steenkamp, Shaun Sowerby, and Daan Human.

Elsewhere in the Top 14:
Racing Métro 22-13 Bordeaux-Bègles | Agen 20-29 Clermont | Biarritz 26-11 Brive | Montpellier 37-26 Bayonne | Stade Français 40-19 Lyon | Perpignan 22-22 Toulon

Below are extended highlights (11:46) of this classic Top 14 match. Enjoy.

6 Comments

  • kadova
    9:29 PM 17/03/2012

    French referees let more to happen in the rucks than international referees. French international players like Maxime Medard said it. This is why you see this unpunished in Top 14 matches.

  • jwall
    4:02 AM 15/03/2012

    Really? I thought he played very well. He made some massive tackles, one in this clip on a forward that drives the guy backwards and onto his back like 5 metres. He created a try with his pass to the left wing. He is a huge part of the reason Toulouse were getting such quick ball (the key to their victory and the reason it turned into such a frenetic game - the type of game that suits a running side like Toulouse). He made a couple of line breaks.
    The reason he got swamped a couple times, is because Toulouse were losing the ruck (and consequently possesion), so he just got in there, dug the ball out, took the tackle and set the ball up again for a new ruck, to retain possesion.
    It's weird how two people can watch a game and see different things.

  • hry
    9:04 PM 14/03/2012

    Moments of that were like a fifteen-man game of rugby sevens

  • stroudos
    5:17 PM 13/03/2012

    Very nice. McAllister-David-Fritz is pretty lethal midfield combo isn't it. They certainly get through some work! Jauzion seems pretty comfortable at full-back too.

  • scottyg121
    3:40 PM 13/03/2012

    The hands in this game are pretty shocking at times. But still what an entertaining match!

  • ando
    2:22 AM 13/03/2012

    Entertaining match, great highlights!