Summary

  • Northampton score seven tries in frenetic 49-41 victory over Castres to book Champions Cup quarter-final spot

  • Prem leaders will face either Bath or Saracens in last eight

  • French side, who had two players sin-binned in first 20 minutes, led 15-14 at half-time

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  1. Postpublished at 17 mins

    Northampton 7-12 Castres

    This is breathless stuff, can Saints take advantage of their man advantage? Especially as Ambadiang was in rare form?

  2. Postpublished at 20:20 BST 3 April

    Northampton 7-12 Castres

    Paul Grayson
    Ex-Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Castres player tackles illegally and gets a yellow cardImage source, Getty Images

    A deserved yellow card and it's up to Northampton to take advantage.

  3. try

    Penalty try - Northampton 7-12 Castrespublished at 16 mins

    Yes indeed, and winger Christian Ambadiang is shown the yellow card.

    What a start this has been!

  4. Postpublished at 20:19 BST 3 April

    Northampton 0-12 Castres

    It's all happening!

    Archie McParland is scragged by a high tackle just short of the line, Henry Pollock tries a quick penalty and a fight erupts. This has got the Shoe Army on their toes alright!

    This could be a penalty try...

  5. Postpublished at 20:17 BST 3 April

    Northampton 0-12 Castres

    Paul Grayson
    Ex-Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    That was my suspicion when he scored, that he was too close to the touchline.

    Sensational handling from Northampton, though, to create that space.

  6. Disallowed trypublished at 14 mins

    Northampton 0-12 Castres

    No - his foot scraped the line just before he touched down.

    Unlucky - it was a great effort by Ramm.

  7. Try reviewpublished at 20:16 BST 3 April

    He gets the ball down but does his foot clip the line? The try has been given on the field - it was a fine tackle by Ambadiang.

  8. Try reviewpublished at 20:15 BST 3 April

    Northampton 5-12 Castres

    James Ramm is in at at the corner - or is he?

  9. converted try

    Converted try - Northampton 0-12 Castrespublished at 10 mins

    Theo Chabouni (Con: Fernandez)

    Castres score a tryImage source, AFP via Getty Images

    Wow!

    Castres intercept and move it to the left. It goes through multiple hands until Vilimoni Botitu flips it back inside him, and full-back Theo Chabouni has the easiest task of running it in.

  10. Postpublished at 20:12 BST 3 April

    Northampton 0-5 Castres

    Paul Grayson
    Ex-Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    A great set-play move, that.

    [On the missed conversion] I've got sympathy - tucked under the stand, the wind - when it's blowing this hard - whips in.

  11. Postpublished at 20:11 BST 3 April

    Northampton 0-5 Castres

    Anthony Belleau was horribly isolated when that clever grubber kick came through, and it has to be said that Castres deserved the lead.

  12. try

    Try - Northampton 0-5 Castrespublished at 7 mins

    Christian Ambadiang

    Castres score a tryImage source, AFP via Getty Images

    Castres' superb start reaps the best reward possible!

    Jeremy Fernandez scoots to the blind side off a scrum, then kicks ahead into space and winger Christian Ambadiang races onto it to crash over near the corner.

    Fernandez misses a tricky conversion.

  13. Postpublished at 6 mins

    Northampton 0-0 Castres

    It's ding-dong stuff so far, Castres kicking deep and Saints returning it.

    Christian Ambadiang then launches another kick to the Saints 22, but some clumsy hands mean Castres win a scrum, again in front of the posts but outside the home 22.

  14. Postpublished at 3 mins

    Northampton 0-0 Castres

    James Ramm attacks up the left for Northampton, after a deft pass from Henry Pollock, with a clever kick ahead, but Jeremy Fernandez clears brilliantly from behind the try line.

  15. Postpublished at 1 min

    Northampton 0-0 Castres

    At the second attempt, Saints get a mighty shove in and win a penalty that Anthony Belleau clears to beyond halfway.

    Relief for the home fans, and a decent position to attack from.

  16. Kick-offpublished at 20:01 BST 3 April

    Northampton 0-0 Castres

    We're under way as Castres' fly-half Enzo Herve kicks off, collected by Henry Pollock in his own 22. And it's a great start for the French side as they turn it over and get a scrum in front of the posts.

  17. Postpublished at 20:00 BST 3 April

    Northampton v Castres (20:00 BST)

    Paul Grayson
    Ex-Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

    Knockout sport is a different gravy. It's the essence of it, when you get to positions like this, because every single thing that you do counts.

    Phil DowsonImage source, Getty Images
  18. Postpublished at 19:59 BST 3 April

    Northampton v Castres (20:00 BST)

    Franklin's Gardens is a great sight as dusk falls and the floodlights take over as the teams emerge to flames and flags galore.

  19. 'International rugby in a club jersey'published at 19:56 BST 3 April

    Northampton v Castres (20:00 BST)

    Lawrence Dallaglio
    Ex-England captain and 2003 World Cup winner on Premier Sports

    It's international rugby in a club jersey. These are special days and it's so hard to win - it's such a difficult competition, it's the best of the best in Europe.

    When you get to this point, no matter how you've got here and what format the competition has, this is the knockout stage and this is where all the jeopardy is.

    It doesn't matter what's gone before, it's a one-off game and it's the nature of those one-off games that make them very special.

  20. get involved

    Get Involvedpublished at 19:54 BST 3 April

    Click yellow "Get Involved" button to send us your views

    I really hope Northampton go well tonight, as I hope all the English teams do. English rugby needs some positivity after the Six Nations!

    George, Bexley