This year’s trip started inauspiciously with an instrument landing in thick fog at Toulouse. Had we come all this way only for the game to be called off? By Friday lunchtime the fog had cleared and it was a beautiful sunny day in Haute Languedoc. Arrival in Castres was made even better when we discovered we had booked in to the same hotel as the team.  

For anyone who lives in East Herts it was quite a luxury to be able to walk to the ground. Like most of the European venues I have visited, the Stade Pierre Antoinne is a lovely little ground (although decidedly lacking in ladies toilets – of which more later). 

And so to the match. It’s ironic that the clash between the leaders of the English & French Leagues was taking place in the lesser European competition and as far as I could see, not a TV camera in sight! Maybe Castres get the same treatment from the French media as we do! 

Mark McCall said in the week that this was the first knock out game of the season. Given that both teams had already lost to Toulon (Castres at home) defeat today was effectively the end of the road for either team. So how seriously would the Good Doctor take this match? The team looked pretty strong, more so that the team that lost to Toulon (although weaker than the squad who beat Sale last weekend). For Sarries fans there was the notable return of Glen Jackson at fly half after a month’s exile. 

From the kick off, Jackso was already standing much flatter than Hooha and set the backs running straight away. Unfortunately Cato slipped over almost at once and that seemed to be the signal for 5 minutes of kicking. All that gained was a Castres lineout in the Sarries 22. Castres set up the first of many rolling mauls which Sarries eventually pulled down. Thomas Bouquie made the wide out penalty look easy. 3-0. 

From the restart Sarries ventured into the Castres half for the first time. More passing between the backs and a break from Melck eventually resulted in a Sarries penalty. Unfortunately Jackson thought this was still the crossbar challenge and hit the woodwork. Shortly after a Sarries knock on resulted in the first scrum of the match, always an interesting moment. First blood to Sarries as Mr Jones gave them a free kick which Jackson punted deep into the Castres 22.

Good Sarries rucking gave Jackson the chance to make amends with a drop goal which he executed perfectly (anything       Hooha can do….). 3-3

From the restart, Castres managed to set up another rolling maul which had exactly the same result, a successful Bouquie penalty for pulling down. 6-3. Jackson was looking a bit rusty and put the restart straight out. Castres’ pack were looking very strong at the set piece and forced another penalty in the Sarries 22. 5 penalties conceded in 20 minutes were beginning to hurt Sarries. Castres made what, with the benefit of hindsight, was the first of several errors. Sensing they had the upper hand they turned down the kick and went for the scrum. Sarries defended well but a knock on gave Castres another scrum now on the 5m line. Sarries collapsed the scrum then stood up at the next one. Mr Jones spoke to Borthers and he was only saying one thing, “do that again and it’s a penalty try”. Somehow Sarries dug deep and defended the scrum forcing Castres to play the ball. The Castres forwards got themselves stuck up against the upright and couldn’t drive over. Eventually Sarries forced a knock on but barely relieved the pressure as they had another scrum to defend on their 5m line albeit with their own put in. Somehow they managed to scrape the ball away but ended up conceding another penalty for not releasing.  

Not learning from their previous mistake, and believing that the force was with them, Castres kicked to touch for a 5m line out. Again it didn’t pay off. Sarries managed to defend the rolling maul legally and won a penalty of their own when Castres failed to release. The Sarries fans drew a collective sigh of relief. Surely we had got out of jail here. We reckoned without Glenda who went for too much length on the kick and missed touch and the rampaging hoards were back in the Sarries 22 again. Fortunately Castres knocked on, the scrum held firm and Moseses cleared to a good touch. 

Sarries began to put a few passes together and it was so refreshing to see a fly half standing flat and bringing his wings into play. Sarries spent 5 welcome minutes in the Castres half which at least relieved the pressure even if it didn’t result in any points. With 5 minutes to go to half time Melck was sent to the sinbin for a transgression over on the far side (?handling?), the 9^th penalty Sarries had conceded in the half. 

Despite the failure of the tactic so far, Castres again declined the kick and went for the corner. The French were looking very dangerous and with a man down it was looking ominous for Sarries. Castres knocked on from the resulting lineout and even though it was a Sarries put in, Castres had to be favourites to score. Powell joined the back row but it didn’t look like enough; then to everyone’s surprise (disbelief among most of the Castres supporters) Mr Jones gave Sarries a penalty because he deemed that Castres had collapsed the scrum. Now why, when you clearly have the upper hand plus an extra man would you want to do that? Only Mr Jones knew. There was a definite feeling that we had got away with it. Could we hang on until half time with just a 3 point deficit? Well of course Sarries being Sarries didn’t help themselves by loosing the resulting lineout and giving the initiative back to Castres. Somehow they won the ball back and Cato headed for the half way line only to slip over again (the boy needs new studs) and be penalised for not releasing. With time up, Bouquie kicked the penalty for 9-3 and given the events of the first 40 minutes that was more than Saracens deserved. 

I spent the whole interval trying to find a ladies loo. There proved to be just 1 (single cubicle that is) in the ground (shared with the disabled – made me wistful for the luxury of the old East stand). So it was crossed legs for the second half otherwise the report would have stopped here! 

As Castres began the 2^nd half things were looking a bit desperate for Sarries. Underpowered in the scrum, overpowered in the maul and with another 5 minutes to survive a man down, they had it all to do. But we must remember that they are the comeback kings, the second half specialists, so maybe, just maybe there was hope. 

Sarries began the half on the attack and managed to run down most of the remainder of Melck’s sinbinning in the Castres half. A nice little kick and chase by Borthwick of all people came to nothing but Sarries now had a bit of momentum. Jackson noticed Tagicakibau lurking wide on the left wing and kicked a high cross field ball that bounced high into the in goal area with Tagicakibau bearing down on it. He had every chance of gathering and scoring but Mr Jones, who had saved Sarries in the first half, now denied them the chance to score by blowing up for the penalty he had already awarded. Jackson took the 3 points for 9-6. 

The Good Doctor clearly decided it was time to get serious and sent on Brits and Marshall. It was a match-changing move. 

From the restart, Castres gave away yet another penalty for offside (their 3^rd in 12 minutes – more than they had conceded in the entire first half). Mr Jones marched them back another 10m for dissent making it decidedly kickable. Alas Jacko hit the woodwork again and Castres cleared. 

A Jackson garryowen forced a Castres knock on. This time the Sarries scrum held firm although eventually conceded a penalty. Castres now began making errors and missed touch allowing Richard Haughton to run (note the word run) the ball back into the Castres half. His eventually kick found a good touch on the Castres 22. Sarries turned the ball over from the line out and Powell found the magnificent Brits who burst clear and was brought down illegally. Jackson kicked the penalty making it 9-9 with 20 minutes left. Miracles can happen. 

Castres began making wholesale substitutions, perhaps another error because they never looked the same team in the last quarter. Among those they took off was Sanchou their influential  scrum half who had been a real handful all night. They conceded another penalty when Caballero came off the back of the scrum illegally. The nouse of Brits & Marshall in particular was having an impact. Jackson kicked to the corner. From the lineout Sarries now set up the rolling maul. Brits broke free passing out to Joubert and then Saull (who had come on for Melck). Saull knows a try line when he sees one and he was over for the try which Jackson converted giving Saracens the lead for the first time, 16-9. 

Sarries continued to attack. The usually dependable Brits blotted his copy book with 2 lost lineouts but Castres couldn’t capitalise on the possession and Sarries turned the ball over. There was a lovely period of passing play when a neat pass behind his back from Marshall almost put Ratuvou through and Jackson’s trademark delayed pass inside almost bore fruit. Castres finally got their hands on the ball but they were making errors now and Brits spotted an interception and scored under the posts. Again Jackson converted for 23-9. Surely this would be enough? A

nd it was. Sarries in the end held on with ease spending most of the final minutes in the Castres half. When Castres did try and counter they made more errors, a forward pass, a knock on. With just 2 minutes to go they conceded a penalty at their own scrum, just to show how dominant the Sarries pack had become. And that was it. The clock ran down and Marshall hoofed the ball into the stand. 

The Castres crowd (interestingly almost wholly male) were not impressed, greeting their visitors with boos and empty terraces. But the Sarries team were clearly delighted judging by their reaction at the end. They had turned it round again in the 2^nd half, principally down to 2 old hands, Brits and Marshall, and 1 new one, Andy Saull. Castres failed to score a single point in the 2^nd half and conceded 7 penalties to only 3 by Sarries. In the end it was “le grande fruite” the great escape. 

And afterwards it was great to enjoy fois gras and Cassoulet with a bottle of local wine. It was great to meet the team in the hotel bar for a drink. It was great to be a Sarries supporter. (For those of you worried about my bladder, yes I did eventually find the loo!) 

Saracens:-Haughton, Cato, Ratuvou, Powell (Sorrell), Tagicakibau, Jackson (Sharp), Rauluni (Marshall), Gill (Mercey) Reynecke (Brits), Nieto (Skuse), Borthwick ©, Smith (Botha), Van Heerden, Melck (Saull), Joubert 

Castres:-Bouquie, Bourret, Christophers©, Garcia (Sika), Bonnefond, Boscus, Sanchou (Albouy), Lensing, Bonello (Rallier)  Ducalcon (Rayssac), Kulemin (Rolland), Michaux (Tekori), Malonga, Caballero, Nell
 

Scores:-3-0, 3-3, 6-3, 9-3, 9-6, 9-9, 9-16, 9-23 

Scorers:Castres:   (pens3)

Saracens:-Tries: Saull, Brits, Conv: Jackson (2) Penalties: Jackson (2) DG Jackson 

Referee Mr James Jones 

Attendance: 6,250 

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