Montpellier will be out for revenge when they take on Castres on Sunday the 26th of August.
The French Top 14 throws up a repeat of last season’s final this coming Sunday with reigning champions Castres travelling to Montpellier to do battle with last season’s table-toppers.
Will Montpellier atone for their Finals loss or will Castres upset the applecart once again?
Montpellier v Castres
Sunday 26 August
Stade Felix Mayol
17:05
To Win (80 Mins)
Montpellier 1/6
Draw 23/1
Castres 4/1
Montpellier
Vern Cotter’s men will be looking to vanquish a few ghosts this coming Saturday when they take on the side that stole the Top 14 title from under their nose last season.
Montpellier came into the aforementioned final as red-hot favourite having put in an impressive shift during the round-robin phase that saw them end the regular season at the top of the standings. They then froze in the final and allowed Castres to claim an unlikely win.
Montpellier’s off-season business was rather underwhelming yet filled with controversy as they signed up former Springbok Johann Goosen while letting go of Australian outside backs Jesse Mogg and Joe Tomane.
Castres
The plucky little club will still be riding the wave of confidence they garnered from claiming the 2017/18 Top 14 title, against all odds.
Castres may not be the most star-studded of sides but they do have some quality with Rory Kockott and David Smith both turning out for the side on a regular basis.
Castres have also done some smart recruitment work during the off-season bringing in a plethora of French internationals including Kockott’s former Sharks teammate, Scott Spedding, and veteran centre, Yann David. Both men bring with them a wealth of experience as well as versatility, with the duo capable of playing in a multitude of positions.
Verdict: Montpellier 1/6
I’m expecting Montpellier to lay down a marker here. They want revenge and I reckon they’ll dish it up by beating Castres by 12 points or more.
