Champions Cup: Gloucester Triumphs 34-14 Over Castres
Investec Champions Cup
Gloucester (14) 34
Tries: Thomas, Trenholm, C Atkinson (2) Conversions: Byrne (4) Penalties: Byrne (2)
Castres (14) 14
Tries: Karawalevu, Zarantonello Conversions: Popelin (2)
Gloucester showed remarkable nerve to secure a 34-14 victory over Castres on their return to the Champions Cup after a two-year hiatus, in what proved to be a storm‑torn afternoon at Kingsholm.
The teams were level at 14-14 when Gloucester were briefly reduced to 14 men for 10 minutes as Deian Gwynne spent time in the sin bin.
Two crucial penalties from Ross Byrne after the sin-bin period gave Gloucester a comfortable cushion, until Charlie Atkinson struck twice late on to seal the win.
Castres had started strongly, scoring converted tries through Vuate Karawalevu and Loris Zarantonello before the break, while Freddie Thomas and Will Trenholm responded for Gloucester with tries converted by Byrne as the swirling wind made life tricky for both sides.
The second half saw more handling errors, and Gwynne picked up a yellow card after accidentally clipping Florent Vanverberghe around the eye region.
Discipline slipped for Castres in the final stages, with Christian Ambadiang and Gauthier Doubrere also shown yellow cards.
The late touches from substitute Atkinson earned Gloucester a bonus-point win in their first Champions Cup campaign since 2022-23.
Upcoming fixtures: Gloucester head to Thomond Park to face Munster at 17:30 GMT on Saturday, 13 December, while Castres host Edinburgh at 13:00 on Sunday, 14 December.
Team sheets
Gloucester: Redshaw; Joseph, Llewellyn, Atkinson, Thorley; Byrne, Williams; Knight, Blake, Gotovtsev, Thomas, Alemanno, Gwynne, Ludlow, Trenholm.
Replacements: Innard, Rapava Ruskin, Fasogbon, Jordan, Basham, Austin, Atkinson, Russell.
Castres: Chabouni; Ambadiang, Karawalevu, Botitu, Baget; Popelin, Fernandez; Walcker, Zarantonello, Azar, Ducat, Vanverberghe, Delaporte, Cope, Ramototabua.
Replacements: Durand-Pradere, Sokobale, Chilachava, Maravat, Papalii, Doubrere, Herve, Goodhue.
Officials: Referee – Sam Grove-White (Scotland); Assistant referees – Ian Kenny (Scotland), Finlay Brown (Scotland); Television Match Official – Andrew McMenemy (Scotland).
