Investec Champions Cup Last-16 Preview: Castres Olympique Vs. Benetton
Investec Champions Cup Last-16 Preview: Castres Olympique Vs. Benetton
Investec Champions Cup last-16 knockout match preview sees French Top 14 side Castres Olympique host Italian United Rugby Championship team Benetton Rugby.
This is the ultimate clash of the underdogs between two sides that have not been on anyone’s bingo card as playoff teams this season.
Yet here we are, and there can be no arguments they don’t both deserve to be here.
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We'll start with the hosts, who completed their best pool performance with three wins to earn their first playoff appearance since 2002.
Securing victories over Munster and the Vodacom Bulls, before adding a cherry on top with a first road win since 2012 against Saracens in Round 4, this run of results for Castres not only ensured a home playoff match but a spot on the ‘favorable’ side of the draw with a potential home quarterfinal to come.
Benetton, on the other hand, pulled off arguably the shock of the pool stages with a win against two-time champion Stade Rochelais to seal its place in the last 16.
Possessing one of the most formidable home records in European club rugby, Castres has turned over some of the biggest teams in the game. Thus, they will be ultra-confident of progressing against a team that has had a mixed season to date.
Currently seventh in the United Rugby Championship, Benetton has continued to establish itself as a true playoff threat at the league level.
The team does, however, have quite possibly the toughest run to the end of the season of any contenders, with a South African tour against the Stormers and Lions to come, before tackling the Glasgow Warriors and Munster in the final two rounds.
Thus, one would have to question whether they will be back in the Champions Cup next season. This question will only heighten the feeling that the Italian side should strike while the iron is hot and claim a win in its first Champions Cup knockout appearance.
Fortunately for Benetton, it has a squad that is more than capable of pushing Castres to the limit.
Starting with the center partnership of Tommaso Menoncello and Ignacio, who are quite possibly the best center pairing in professional rugby in 2025. Combining attacking flair with monstrous defensive physicality, the pair are dangerous on both sides of the ball.
Feeding this pair the ball will be an exceptional halfback pairing of Andy Uren and Argentina international Tomas Albornoz, who has been in red-hot form for the past 12 months. Playing behind a pack full of Italian internationals with more on the bench, Benetton has enough firepower to play for the full 80 minutes.
Castres, on the other hand, has a gnarly squad of seasoned veterans who routinely play above the sum of their parts. This is not to take away from the quality of players in their squad, but their matchday-23 is not one that is filled with current internationals, but rather former internationals and top-line club players.
This squad will know it simply cannot allow Benetton to play on the front foot or they risk being cut open.
So far this season, Castres’ path to victory has come at set-piece time, where the team has dominated opponents. This power game has opened up opportunities for their pacey backline to expose but it all starts with domination up front. Should Benetton get at least parity here, then the pendulum will swing slightly in favor of Castres.
Taking into account Benetton’s quality against Castres’ power and home record, this is perhaps the toughest of all the matches to call. To keep things interesting, we have talked ourselves into the upset. Benetton by two points.
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