Castres edge Bordeaux to keep in play-off contention
Castres kept in the play-off picture with a bruising 7-6 victory over Bordeaux-Begles in the French Top 14 on Sunday. Defeat hit Bordeaux's own top six hopes. They now sit 10 points back from the play-offs. In an uninspiring arm-wrestle, Castres scored the only try as full-back Julien Dumora won a foot-race to touch down a clever kick from Benjamin Urdapilleta on 27 minutes. Fly-half Urdapilleta converted as Castres defended doggedly throughout to prevent Bordeaux crossing their own line. Castres paid for not earning a try bonus, dropping three places to seventh, level on points with sixth-placed Lyon, but only a point off fourth. The hosts opened the scoring through a Baptiste Serin penalty on 18 minutes and the French international scrum-half added a second nine minutes from time, but it wasn't enough. Third-placed Racing 92 welcome back flying wing Teddy Thomas, serving a one-match suspension from the France team, for the visit of second-placed La Rochelle later on Sunday. Thomas has been stripped of his ethics bonus for this month by Racing after being involved in a late-night incident in Edinburgh last weekend following France's Six Nations defeat to Scotland. Thomas has been in fine form, scoring all three of France's tries in their two Six Nations matches this season. On Saturday, former England international Chris Ashton grabbed a hat-trick of tries to help Toulon move up to fourth with a 43-5 thrashing of Stade Francais. Leaders Montpellier picked up a try-bonus as Fiji wing Nemani Nadolo scored a brace in a 43-20 victory at Oyonnax. But champions Clermont slipped to 15 points off the play-offs in 10th as their winless run away from home continued with a chastening 36-10 reverse at Lyon, whose bonus point took them above Castres.
