Top 14 2020/21 club-by-club season preview: Castres Olympique
Castres have waved the clearout wand and – in common with a number of Top 14 clubs – have started the process of refocusing on youth. There is still plenty of experience to count on… but how things work on the pitch remains to be seen.
Key signing
Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata, 23, heads to France with a growing reputation and the job of, eventually, taking over from marmite nine Rory Kockott… who is one of three vice-captains at the club this season. A mention, too, for Canada’s Tyler Ardron, who has quickly been handed a leadership role since joining from Chiefs.
Key departure
Rodrigo Capo Ortega: An excellent try on what turned out to be his last outing in the bleu-et-blanc was something to remember, but it was far from the farewell the 39-year-old deserved after 18 years and 400-and-some outings for the same club. ‘Capo’, one of 14 now-former players as Castres rapidly turn down the experience, is heading into an ambassadorial role.
https://twitter.com/CastresRugby/status/1296015823996420098
They say
“The group needed renewal. We chose to bet on players with very strong potential.”
Coach Mauricio Reggiardo – Midi Olympique
We say
It seemed there was plenty wrong at Castres last season. They lacked lustre on the pitch and looked shorn of anything approaching a plan.
Problems, problems
Not all of it can be laid at the door of the ageing playing squad – and some of it was a long-lingering hangover from the previous season, the last under Christophe Urios, which ended badly. To be fair, successor Reggiardo hasn’t tried to hide from his part in the problems that plagued the club in the early skirmishes.
“We started to rectify the situation from December,” Reggiardo told Midol recently. “We had finally found the right operation.
“Before that, I believe that we had not sufficiently respected and maintained certain values of this club. It reminded us that these values are never acquired, that they must be constantly maintained.”
‘Success’ in Europe
The Challenge Cup, unusually, offered a rare highlight in an otherwise thoroughly abject season. Castres qualified for the quarter-finals with a 33-27 win at Worcester in the final match of the group phase to finish top of Pool One.
They are due to head to Leicester in September, with an outside chance of stealing a place in next season’s Champions Cup – despite finishing 10th in the Top 14.
There is little doubt Castres’ playing pool was in desperate need of refreshing. The oldest of this summer’s signings – Ardron and Kunatani – are 29. Four of the nine new faces are 23 or younger. Meanwhile, only four of the 16 departures are under 30. Capo was nearly 40; Karena Wihongi was 40.
Are you local?
Captain Mathieu Babillot and vice-captain Baptiste Delaporte, meanwhile, are Castres born and bred. Prop Antoine Tichit and full-back Geoffrey Palis were born just up the road in Gaillac. Academy graduate Jeremy Fernandez is from nearby Mazamet. It all feeds into the ‘small town, big team’ underdog image the club loves to play up and play to.
More usefully, the squad now boasts more diverse skills in a range of positions, giving Reggiardo the ability to adapt the Castres style according to their opponents. Last season was, pretty much, a write-off. This season should see some strong consolidation. Word from the training ground is that this season should be better than the last.
One thing Castres must do – and urgently – is get to grips with their ongoing indiscretion issues. Giving away 20 penalties a game, as they did in their pre-season opener against Agen, isn’t going to cut it when the serious rugby starts.
Arrivals
Julius Nostadt, Gaetan Barlot, Tyler Ardron, Ryno Pieterse, Semi Kunatani, Stephane Onambele, Kevin Kornath, Santiago Arata, Adrea Cocagi, Vilimoni Botitu, Bastien Guillemin
Departures
Marc Clerc, Paea Fa’anunu, Tapu Falatea, Morgan Phelipponneau, Jody Jenneker, Paul Sauzeret, Rodrigo Capo Ortega, Christophe Samson, Victor Moreaux, Alex Tulou, Camille Gerondeau, Kevin Gimeno, Ludovic Radosavljevic, Robert Ebersohn, Julien Caminati, Taylor Paris
'To a man, they all talked very proudly about getting the s*** kicked out of them but serving it back with interest'
Russian Roulette, murder and who tore open Shelford's scrotum: @dberesford12 tells @OwainJTJones how France's hardest players opened up https://t.co/nFV9jO63Gc
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) July 19, 2020
Comments on RugbyPass
$950k for a Prop that isn’t fit enough to play 10 mins of rugby? Surely there is someone better to replace Big Mike with
2 Go to commentsFour Kiwis in that backline. A solid statement on the lack of invention, risk-taking and joy in the NH game; game of attrition and head- banging tedium. Longterm medical problems aplenty in the future!
1 Go to commentsGood article, I learnt quite a lot. A big sliding door moment was in the mid 00s when they rejected Steve Anderson's long term transformation and he wrote Ireland's strategy instead.
2 Go to commentsHi Dr Nick! I'm worried that I've started to enjoy watching England and have actually wanted them to win their last two games. What would you prescribe? On a more serious note, I've noticed that the standard of play in March is often better than early February. Do you think this is because of the weather or because the players have been together for longer?
10 Go to commentsMy question in all this brett is who is going to wear the consequences of these actions? Surely just getting the sack isn’t sufficient? A teenager working the till at woolies would probably get taken to court if they took $20 out of the till. You mean to tell me that someone can spend $2.6 million and get away with it? Where was it spent? What companies/people were the beneficiaries etc? How is it just being talked about as an ‘oopsie’ and we all just move on and not a matter of the court for gross negligence, fraud, take your pick…
18 Go to commentslove Manu too but England have relied on him coming back from injury for far too long and not sorted the position with someone else long term . It will be a blessing he has gone . Huge shame he was so injury prone . God speed Manu .
3 Go to commentsI agree with Ben Smith about Brett Cameron. The No. 6 position has to be a monster and a genuine lineout option, like Ollivon, Lawes (now Chessum), Du Toit, etc. The only player who fits that bill right now is Scott Barrett. A fit and fizzing Tuipolotu together with one of the young towers, Sam Darry or Josh Lord, would give Razor the freedom to play Barret at 6.
16 Go to commentsOutstanding article, Graham. Agree with all of it. And enjoy the style of writing too (particularly Grand Slap!).
2 Go to commentsI wouldn't pay a cent for that loafer. He just stands around, waiting for play to come his way. He won't make the Wallabies.
2 Go to commentsGood bit of te reo maori Nic. Or is that Niko or Nikora? On the theme of trees the Oaks v Totara. Game plan would be key. I have one but it would cost you.
10 Go to comments> Shaun Edwards’ You should not have to score 30 points to win a game, as exciting as it is. This statement was surprising to me. It is nonsensical .I guess it is a defence coach speaking. But head coach, defence and attacking coaches all work together. They are inseparable. You score more than the opposition to win. It only needs to be one score. You score whatever the game demands, whatever the opposition demand. You defend whatever it takes. The attack coach needs to be able to clock up 30pts if need be.
10 Go to commentsWho’d have thought, not having Farrell & Youngs kicking the ball at every possible opportunity and playing flat and allowing your centres to run and pass would pay off? No one could possibly have seen this coming. FML. It took a LONG time coming but at least that time has finally come. England need to find a backup to Lawrence. Freeman is the best candidate for me, I see no reason why he can't play 12. He's big, strong, fast and has great hands.
10 Go to commentsLove Manu but he's not the player he was and I imagine Bayonne have paid too much money for him.
3 Go to commentsNew Zealand have not beaten England since 2018 and even that was a pretty close shave.
1 Go to comments“a renewed focus on Scottish-qualified players” Scottish-qualified is another way of saying English. England has development more players for the Scotland national Rugby team in the last 4 years, than Scotland has.
2 Go to commentsThis sounds a lot like the old Welsh rugby proverb “Wales never lose. Other teams just score more points.”
5 Go to commentsFinally,at last, Borthwick has done what the whole of England have been crying out for. Ditch the kick chase and let the players have freedom to attack and run with the ball. It was great to see. Ford played really well and for the first time in ages was 5 yards closer to the gainline which then allowed a more attacking position . Pity it has taken 90 odd caps to do so. However, this has to continue and not be a false dawn . One issue. Marcus. With Ford having one really good game in 5 ,is he the answer long term . Smith puts bums on seats and is terrific to watch . How can you leave him out before he departs for France in disillusion . England are in danger of Simmons , Alex Goode , Cipriani , Mercer and now Smith being unable to get a selection ahead of “favourites” of the management regardless of form . Great to see England play so well .
2 Go to commentsCockerill was an abrasive player in the mould of a Georgian front rower who will have the respect of that pack. Looking forward to seeing what he can do with this exciting team, hopefully they can send a message to unions like Wales that money alone doesn't buy you wins.
2 Go to commentsI like the look of those July matches. Hopefully they'll get some good tests in November too.
2 Go to commentsThis is a poor article, essentially just trolling six nations teams
22 Go to comments