Final Score: Castres Olympique 49 – Vodacom Bulls 10
Halftime: Castres Olympique 10 – 7 Bulls
Date: 11 January 2025 | Venue: Stade Pierre-Fabre
Referee: Christophe Ridley (Eng)
Attendance: 9,876
Player of the Match: Rémy Baget (Castres Olympique)
📊 Match Summary
It was a night to forget for the Vodacom Bulls as they were thoroughly outclassed by Castres Olympique, who put on a masterclass in the Investec Champions Cup clash. The French side ran in seven tries to Bulls’ lone score, sealing a dominant 49-10 victory.
📈 Scoring Timeline
- Bulls:
- Try: Jan-Hendrik Wessels (6’)
- Conversion: Boeta Chamberlain (7’)
- Penalty: Jaco van der Walt (53’)
- Castres Olympique:
- Tries: Geoffrey Palis (17’), Rémy Baget (63’, 73’, 78’), Julien Dumora (70’), Jack Goodhue (75’)
- Conversions: Jeremy Fernandez (18’), Jeremy Fernandez (64’), Pierre Popelin (71’, 76’, 79’)
- Penalties: Jeremy Fernandez (31’, 45’, 57’)
🏆 Key Stats Breakdown
- Possession: Bulls 50.88% | Castres 49.12%
- Meters Gained: Castres 535 | Bulls 327
- Carries: Castres 130 | Bulls 112
- Tackles Made: Castres 114 | Bulls 86
- Missed Tackles: Bulls 23 | Castres 17
- Turnovers Won: Castres 4 | Bulls 7
🔥 Star Performers
Castres Olympique:
- Top Try Scorer: Rémy Baget (3 tries)
- Most Meters: Rémy Baget (139 meters)
- Top Tackler: Mathieu Babillot (12 tackles)
Vodacom Bulls:
- Top Tackler: Mpilo Gumede (10 tackles)
- Most Meters: Henry Immelman (98 meters)
📉 Bulls’ Struggles
Despite a promising start with Wessels crossing the whitewash early, the Bulls’ momentum fizzled out quickly. Handling errors, missed tackles, and a relentless Castres attack proved too much to handle. The Bulls managed just one penalty goal after halftime, while Castres piled on 39 unanswered points in the second half.
🎯 Final Whistle Takeaway
Castres Olympique were clinical, and their backline, led by Baget and Popelin, was unstoppable. The Bulls will need to regroup and tighten their defense if they want to bounce back in their next Champions Cup fixture.
Stay tuned for more post-match insights and fan reactions! 🗞️