2 hours ago
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Investec Champions Cup Pool 3
Saracens 24 (19)
Tries: Dan 2, Earl 2 Cons: Lozowski 2
Castres 32 (17)
Tries: Tukino, Seguret 2, Chabouni Cons: Le Brun 3 Pens: Le Brun 2
Three-time winners Saracens fell to a daze 32-24 decision by Castres arsenic they missed retired connected a location necktie successful the past 16 of the Investec Champions Cup.
Castres had not won distant successful Europe for 12 years heading into the last lucifer successful Pool 3 and changed their full starting XV aft past week's triumph implicit the Bulls.
In Maro Itoje's archetypal crippled since being appointed England captain, Saracens led done 2 tries apiece from forwards Theo Dan and Ben Earl.
But Castres took the pb successful the closing stages acknowledgment to a 2nd effort from skipper Adrien Seguret.
Saracens, who struggled to grip Castres' carnal backs, were incapable to people the converted effort that would person snatched victory.
Castres, who appointed Xavier Sadourny arsenic caput manager earlier successful January, sealed a deserved triumph with a precocious penalty.
Northampton Saints won the excavation with Castres moving up of Munster to decorativeness successful 2nd place, the archetypal clip the French broadside person reached the knockout signifier since 2002.
Saracens spell done to the past 16 arsenic the fourth-place qualifiers.
Saracens manager of rugby Mark McCall had warned earlier the lucifer that this was "probably the biggest game" successful Castres' European history, and helium was proved close arsenic the visitors roseate to the occasion.
The archetypal of respective almighty runs from Fijian Andrea Cocagi, who crashed done immoderate fishy Saracens defence, gave Feibyan Tukino the accidental to people the opening effort successful the 3rd minute.
Hooker Dan, starting up of deposed England skipper Jamie George, took a quick-tap punishment and powered his mode implicit the enactment to bring the hosts level.
Castres regained the pb from a well-executed punishment play which ended with centre Seguret smashing his mode implicit for his first.
Saracens' battalion intelligibly had the precocious manus successful the scrum and line-out and utilized their powerfulness to assistance Earl implicit for the archetypal of his tries.
The location side's forwards repeated the instrumentality arsenic Earl grabbed his 2nd connected the changeable of half-time, arsenic Sarries took the pb for the archetypal time.
Dan, who carried Saracens guardant with his bullish runs, got his 2nd effort from different maul arsenic the location forwards pushed Castres backmost again.
But the visitors yet steadied their set-piece and that gave them the level to unleash their dashing backs.
Cocagi's superb back-of-the-hand walk released chap Fijian Josaia Raisuge for a gallop down the helping and helium sent Elliot Daly flying backwards with a barnstorming tally earlier passing for Theo Chabouni to decorativeness a superb move.
Another sweeping determination fired the visitors into a 29-24 pb arsenic Santiago Arata bushed Saracens' defence to alteration Seguret to people his second.
Saracens inactive had clip to regain the pb but ne'er looked similar getting the people they needed, and the visitors were capable to observe a stunning distant win.
Saracens: Daly; Elliott, Lozowski, Tompkins, Segun; Burke, Van Zyl; Mawi, Dan, Balmain, Itoje (capt), Tizard; Gonzalez, Earl, Willis.
Replacements: George, Brantingham, Riccioni, Michelow, Knight, Simpson, Hartley, Hall.
Castres: Chabouni; Hulleu, Seguret (capt), Cocagi, Raisuqe; Le Brun, Doubrere; Guerois-Galisson, Colonna, Corato, Maravat, Jedrasiak, Moore-Aiono, Meka, Tukino.
Replacements: Zarantonello, De Benedittis, Azar, Macurdy, Peysson, Perrone, Dupont, Zeghdar
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
English (US)