New setback for Stade Toulousain, held in check by Castres

2020-11-07T16:50:53.292Z

After two defeats in a row, Toulouse, deprived of its internationals, was forced to a draw at Ernest-Wallon by Castres Olympique (16-16). 

Toulouse, still weakened by the absence of its internationals and Cheslin Kolbe, recorded a third match in a row without success by conceding a draw at home against Castres (16-16) on Saturday during the 8th day of the Top 14. The CO, whose defense stood firm against the game in Toulouse disorder, leaves with two deserved points and confirms its improvement triggered by its victory the previous weekend against Racing 92 (28-26).

The Tarn club had not been able to play for a month, from mid-September to mid-October, due to massive contamination with Covid-19 which affected a total of thirty players in its workforce.

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Mauricio Reggiardo's team showed that they were better than their ranking (12th) by defeating Toulouse (3rd), still deprived of six French internationals (Thomas Ramos, Romain Ntamack, Antoine Dupont, Dorian Aldegheri, Julien Marchand, Cyril Yawns) and many injured players, including his X-factor Cheslin Kolbe.

After his loss at home against Lyon (7-16) and his rout at the Stade Français (48-14), Ugo Mola's team found five executives: captain Jerome Kaino, third row Rynhardt Elstadt and the three -quarts Pita Ahki, Yoann Huget and Maxime Médard.

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But despite the activity of the latter at the back, the tauliers did not succeed in influencing the meeting, like Huget pushed into touch (9th).

Joe Tekori received a yellow entry (4th), Kaino came out on injury (48th), while Ahki and Matthis Lebel, co-top scorer of the club (5 tries) remained silent at Ernest-Wallon, have missed the match point, the fault of Lebel who wanted to cross instead of staying on the outside (79th).

The hinge formed by Alexi Balès and Zack Holmes did not really convince, like the pass in the void of the scrum-half (68th) and the drop of the victory missed by the Australian opener (80th) .

Led by ten points (13-3) with the headwind at the break, after a test on a ball carried by Peato Mauvaka (26th) and two penalties from Holmes coming to sanction their indiscipline, the Tarn people reacted as soon as they returned from the locker room in alternating possession and occupation at the foot.

With success: a try by Thomas Combezou (44th) and a maul collapsed by Louis-Benoît Madaule (66th) allowed them to equalize a first time, then a second time after an offside by Selevasio Tolofua (76th) sanctioned by a 3rd penalty from Benjamin Urdapilleta.