Meet Castres Olympique

• 14 Dec 2022
• Previews

Get to know Saturday’s opponents Castres Olympique ahead of Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup clash at DAM Health Stadium (17 December, kick-off 1pm).

Club history

Founded in 1898, the club took its current name in 1906. They play at the Stade Pierre-Fabre which is one of the smallest in Top 14 with a capacity of 12,500. The team wear blue and white kits.

The team won five French top-division championships in 1949, 1950, 1993, 2013, and 2018 as well as one Coupe de France in 1948.

Castres enjoyed a spectacular campaign in 2021/22, reaching the Top 14 final only to fall short against Montpellier.

Stadium

Located in the centre of Castres, Stade Pierre-Fabre is able to hold 12,300 spectators, making it one of the smallest venues in Top 14.

The stadium is currently named after Pierre Fabre the late pharmaceutical magnate who owned Castres Olympique from 1988 until his death in 2013.

Form this season

Castres currently sit in 11th place in the French Top 14 having won six and lost six, putting them on 25 points, above only Brive, Perpignan and Pau.

The French side have won every home match, but lost every away match so far this campaign, encouraging signs for Edinburgh Rugby’s supporters.

Despite their away day blues, Castres have made Pierre-Fabre a fortress, claiming the scalps of Stade Francais and Montpellier so far this season.

Last time out

Castres lost their Round 1 match-up to Exeter Chiefs with the English side claiming a commendable 24-12 win at Stade Pierre Fabre.

Sam Simmonds, Dave Ewers, Sam Maunder and Olly Woodburn were the 2020 champions’ try-scorers as they secured a bonus-point victory at a notoriously tough venue.

Castres’ points came solely from the boot of Julien Dumora, with the TOP 14 side struggling to offer any sustained threat despite their competitiveness at the breakdown.

Danger men

Filipo Nakosi
The brother of Josua Tuisova, Nakosi has been at Castres since 2019 where he has quickly developed a reputation of being of the Top 14’s most dangerous wingers.

The three-times capped Fijian international featured at the 2019 Rugby World Cup and has so far grabbed two tries this season in all competitions.

Tom Staniforth
Former Brumbies man Staniforth is a workhorse of a lock and tops the French side’s carrying stats so far this campaign.

The Canberra-born tight-five forward featured for Australia at U20 level and is ever-present in the Castres second-row, starting 26 games in last year’s French Top 14.

Leone Nakarawa
The 2018 EPCR Player of the Year may be in the latter stages of what has been a glistening career, however there is no counting out the 34-year old who returns to Scottish soil for the first time since leaving Glasgow Warriors in 2021.

The talented second-row, capped 66-times for Fiji, is a magician with ball in hand and will be relishing the opportunity of going up against his international teammates, Bill Mata.