Head-to-Head | Saracens vs Castres Olympique
Saracens host French side Castres this Sunday for the final pool match of their Investec Champions Cup campaign. With both teams vying for qualification, the visitors arrive in their best form of the season, setting the stage for a thrilling encounter at the StoneX.
It will be the last chance to see Saracens' international contingent before the Six Nations, with the Men in Black aiming to secure both a home Round of 16 and a potential home Quarter-Final clash.
With Northampton Saints already qualified in Pool C, only three spots remain in the Round of 16. Saracens and Castres currently occupy the final two, but the outcome could shift with the top four sides facing off in a blockbuster final round.
Castres travel to North London on the back of one of their biggest wins of the season, defeating Vodacom Bulls in France. Remy Baget, who scored a hat-trick in that Champions Cup clash, heads to the StoneX in strong form, having notched five tries in his last three games. The 27-year-old winger will face stiff competition from Williams, Daly, Elliot, Segun, and Cinti in Saracens’ backline.
In midfield, All Black Jack Goodhue is set to start. The New Zealand international, who also scored against the Bulls, could line up against Nick Tompkins and Alex Lozowski in what promises to be a fascinating midfield tussle.
At half-back, exciting Uruguayan Santiago Arata will steer the ship for Castres. Having burst on the international scene last year as a livewire scrum-half, Arata has continued his form into the domestic calendar with the opportunity to battle it out with fellow international Ivan Van Zyl this weekend.
In the pack, Castres boast powerful forwards, none more so than Leone Nakawara. The Fijian, a Champions Cup veteran with nearly 50 appearances for Glasgow, Racing 92, Toulon, and Castres in the competition, will face an in-form Saracens pack led by Maro Itoje and Nick Isiekwe, who were recently selected for the upcoming England Six Nations squad.
Tickets are selling fast for this European clash—be sure to secure your seat at the StoneX Stadium here!
