Investec Champions Cup quarter-final: Northampton Saints v Castres
Venue: Franklin’s Gardens Date: Saturday, 12 April Kick-off: 17:30 BST
Coverage: Live audio commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra; follow live text commentary on BBC Sport website and app
England full-back George Furbank returns to the bench as Northampton Saints name an unchanged starting XV for their Investec Champions Cup quarter-final with Castres.
Club captain Furbank is included in the matchday squad for the first time since December after recovering from a fractured arm which ruled him out of this year’s Six Nations, while there is also room among the replacements for Scotland prop Elliot Millar Mills.
The hosts, who won their only Champions Cup title in 2000, have opted for a five-three split on the bench as prop Luke Green and back row Angus Scott-Young miss out from the squad which beat Clermont Auvergne in the last 16.
Castres, who shocked Saracens on their last visit to England, make six changes in personnel and one positional alteration from the side which edged past Benetton in the previous round.
Geoffrey Palis is named on the wing and Jeremy Fernandez starts at scrum-half, while outside centre Vilimoni Botitu partners Jack Goodhue in midfield.
Baptiste Delaporte comes into the back row as Gauthier Maravat moves from flanker to join Leone Nakarawa in a new-look second row.
Former Harlequins and England prop Will Collier retains his place in an unchanged front row.
Saints cruised past Castres 38-8 in their opening game of this season’s competition in December but fly-half Fin Smith says the hosts are expecting a “proper” European tie against a Top 14 side who have won seven of their past 10 games and lost just once in 2025.
“Castres are a proper team and it will be a proper European quarter-final,” Smith told BBC Radio Northampton.
“It will have some edge with ups and downs and we are looking forward to it but we will really have to be on our game to get over the line.
“The game at home against Munster last year was the closest I have been to a proper European knockout game at home with Saints.
“It will feel like that with a real edge to it and some tension in the ground but those are the occasions you relish the most and remember most fondly.”
Northampton are seeking to become the Premiership’s first Champions Cup winners since Exeter in 2020 and could set-up a second consecutive semi-final with Leinster, who host Glasgow Warriors in their quarter-final on Friday.
Northampton: Ramm; Freeman, Odendaal, Dingwall (capt), Hendy; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock, Augustus.
Replacements: Walker, West, Millar Mills, Lockett, Pearson, James, Hutchinson, Furbank.
Castres: Chabouni; Palis, Botitu, Goodhue, Baget; Le Brun, Fernandez; Walcker, Barlot, Collier, Maravat, Nakarawa, Babillot (capt), Delaporte, Papalii.
Replacements: Zarantonello, Guerois-Galisson, Azar, Meka, Macurdy, Cope, Perrone, Dumora.
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)
