How’s tricks, everyone? Welcome to The 42′s live coverage of Munster’s trip to Castres in Round 2 of the Champions Cup.

Can Ian Costello’s side make it two wins from two in the competition against one of their nemeses from France? I’m Gavan Casey, and I’ll provide that answer for you here if you can’t make it to a telly or to the Stade Pierre-Fabre.

Castres’ Mathieu Babillot and Munster’s Tadhg Beirne with referee Christophe Ridley. Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

Kick-off is at 8pm and I’ll bring you live updates throughout this pool game, which will also be shown on Premier Sports.

Here’s a reminder of your teams.

Munster have made six changes to the side who put Stade Francais to the sword last weekened. They welcome back Niall Scannell, Stephen Archer, Tadhg Beirne, John Hodnett, Brian Gleeson and Mike Haley to the starting XV.

Gleeson will be making his first appearance of the season and starts a Champions Cup game for the first time.

Castres bring back in from injury their 36-year-old vice captain and fullback, Julien Dumora, as well as fellow veteran Geoffrey Palis on the wing.

A reminder of the team to face Castres Olympique this evening 👇#SUAF 🔴 | #COvMUN | 8pm Kick-Off pic.twitter.com/po2AYXiV8a

— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) December 13, 2024

𝙓𝙑 𝘿𝙀 𝘿𝙀́𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙏 📋
Le XV pour la réception du Munster Rugby, présenté par la Banque Populaire Occitane 💪#CASvMUN #TeamCO pic.twitter.com/78afXudU9I

— Castres Olympique (@CastresRugby) December 12, 2024

Castres are currently seventh in The Top 14, which makes complete sense because they’ve won all of their home games and lost all of their away games!

Coached by former Ireland international Jeremy Davidson, they’re a formidable force at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, with Toulouse and La Rochelle among their victims there this season.

Munster away from home so far this campaign… Yeesh.

Let’s see if they can buck a couple of trends in 10 minutes’ time.

Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

1′ CAS 0-0 MUN: Jack Crowley gets Munster underway and Castres immediately make a line-break.

Niall Scannell wins a big turnover on the floor but Crowley misses touch with an aggressive line kick.

Bad start for Munster.

3′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: Julien Dumora returns the favour on the floor and wins the jackal penalty. Castres lineout on Munster’s 22′.

Munster stall their maul but Fineen Wycherley, who gave away the line-break from kick-off, is illegal. Chance for Castres now closer to the Munster line.

4′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: Big hit from Tom Farrell and Castres knock on. Excellent clearing box-kick by Craig Casey, who finds touch beyond halfway, somehow, from deep inside his own 22′.

He’s really improved that area of his game in the last 18 months or so. A real strength of his now.

6′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: Ferocious pace to this game so far. Good stuff.

Castres win a penalty near halfway — I missed what that was given for, sorry — and Castres are deep inside Munster’s 22′ with another lineout.

Second big chance for the hosts upcoming.

7′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: High tackle by Stephen Archer on Jeremy Fernandez as Castres blast their way beyond the Munster 5′.

Chip and chase by Remy Baget and he almost dots it down! But eventually referee Chris Ridley sees enough separation between hand and ball to call a knock-on and bring it back for the pen.

8′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: Castres maul it over the line and it’s a try, is it?

NO, IT’S BRIAN GLEESON WHO HOLDS IT UP! What a moment for the Champions Cup debutant. Unreal maul defence by the former Tipp underage hurler.

Goal-line drop-out after an early onslaught by the French hosts, here, so far.

12′ – CAS 0-0 MUN: Another Castres attack on the 22′, another high tackle by Stephen Archer.

Castres, once more, go to the corner.

Archer lucky not to see yellow, there. Five penalties against Munster. They’re under serious pressure.

13′ – TRYYYYYYY FOR CASTRES! It’s the former Connacht man Abraham Papali’i who booms his way over off the back of the maul.

The hosts deservedly lead 5-0, with the conversion from the right-hand side off the mark.

16′ – CAS 5-0 MUN: Munster have been really sloppy in possession but they eventually build a really good attack in Castres territory after a brilliant take in the air by Calvin Nash.

Tadhg Beirne gets absolutely annihilated as the decoy — pen advantage — and Farrell chips through off his left. Ridley brings it back for the pen and Munster point toward the sticks from about 35 metres, fairly central.

Crowley’s kick, though, trails off. Doesn’t have the distance or the direction. Weird one. He’s had a poor start, here.

19′ – CAS 5-0 MUN: Another late hit by Castres, this one further back, and Crowley goes to the line.

Lock Gauthier Maravat the guilty party there.

Good line kick by Crowley and Munster now rolling in the Castres 22′.

21′ – CAS 5-0 MUN: Attack slows down and former All Black Jack Goodhue gets over the ball to win the poach penalty.

The hosts survive Munster’s first real chance.

22′ – CAS 5-0 MUN: Dian Bleuler off for a HIA. Will keep you posted on that one. Hopefully he’s alright.

26′ – CAS 5-0 MUN: Nice phase play by Munster who are slowly building into this one. Lovely tip-pass by Crowley eventually leads to Nash making some inroads down the right wing.

Castres penalised on the floor and there’s a bit of argy bargey. Peter O’Mahony, like last week, is straight in to back up Craig Casey.

Munster go to the line but they butcher the lineout, annoyingly. Castres escape again with a nice tipped steal.

31′ – TRYYYYYY FOR THE HOSTS! After a big win in the air, Castres blast their way towards the Munster line. It’s the former Perpignan man Quentin Walcker who finishes from close range. Poor enough Munster defence.

Fernandez is again off the mark with the conversion but Castres are out to a two-score lead.

32′ – CAS 10-0 MUN: It gets worse for the visitors: Craig Casey is lifted from the field of play with what seems to be a right knee injury. Casey looked to be in a lot of pain. Paddy Patterson on for the southern province as the crowd applauds Casey.

33′ – CAS 10-0 MUN:Referee Ridley looking at a high tackle by try-scorer Walcker on Brian Gleeson.

33′ – CAS 10-0 MUN: Mitigated down to yellow — and I would say rightly. Gleeson ducks his head at the last second as he braces for contact. Ten minutes in the bin for Walcker.

36′ – CAS 10-0 MUN: Don’t think Bleuler will be back from his HIA, by the way, which means Dave Kilcoyne is going to have to put in a serious shift as he returns from injury.

He wins a scrum pen inside the Castres half and Crowley goes to touch, taking Munster to within about eight metres of the hosts’ try-line.

Big chance.

38′ – TRYYYYYYY FOR MUNSTER! JOHN HODNETT! Really good maul setup by Munster. Hodnett peels off, shows great footwork, and powers his way over the Castres line.

Munster are on the board just before half-time. That feels huge.

So too does Crowley’s conversion, which he nails from a tricky angle on the left.

41′ – Castres 10-7 Munster: Haley kicks out on the full after Munster took the ball back inside their own 22′.

From the lineout, Munster concede another pen. Castres go to the line. Five-metre lineout with the clock red.

That’s a maddening one for Munster’s coaches.

42′ – CAS 10-7 MUN: Munster get away with it as Castres fail to execute at lineout time!

That’ll take us to the break.

Well, that was something. Castres the better side overall but Munster have a foothold and are sticking to the task.

I’ll catch you in about 15 minutes for the second half!

Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO

41′ – CAS 10-7 MUN: Castres get the action back underway in the second half.

Big 40 minutes for Munster, who have been poor but still have a serious chance of winning this.

43′ – CAS 10-7 MUN: Munster with a lineout on the Castres 22′ after the hosts stray offside.

Big burst again by Hodnett and here come Munster. Arm comes in from Castres to deny a Munster pass and it’s a penalty.

Ridley’s going to check upstairs aaand that’s going to be a yellow card for Geoffrey Palis.

Castres back down to 14, and Munster back down the line. Chance, now, on the Castres 5′.

45′ – CAS 10-7 MUN: Munster win the lineout but Castres defend their efforts quite easily before the ball spills forward out of a red hand.

Symptomatic of the day so far for the southern province. A let-off for Castres but poor execution again by Munster.

47′ – CAS 10-7 MUN: Two scrum penalties in a row for Castres. Kilcoyne under pressure now, bound to be tired even at this stage.

Fernandez will have a go at the posts from well inside the Munster half. Maybe 35 metres, slightly centre-right.

He’s 0-for-2 so far today.

49′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Third time’s a charm for Fernandez and Castres lead by six.

52′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Peter O’Mahony pulls up on the right edge with his heavily strapped right ankle.

On comes Tom Ahern for Munster.

Serious bench option but O’Mahony’s leadership will be a loss. He was having another good game.

53′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Great tackle by Crowley on Papali’i and Alex Nakivell comes in to win the jackal pen.

Crowley puts Munster in touch inside the Castres’ 22′. Chance for the visitors again.

54′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Castres nuke the Munster maul and win a turnover as the ball becomes unplayable at the bottom of it.

Poor stuff again by Munster.

54′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Castres won their yellow card period 3-0.

55′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager on for Munster. Scannell and Archer off.

58′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: It’s been a shocking second half of rugby, all told. Vintage Castres v Munster fare.

Papali’i is pinged for a no-arms tackle on Thaakir Abrahams. Vintage Papali’i.

Abrahams in a bit of pain, now, on his right-hand side — and he’s going off. That’s so annoying for Munster. Just a dangerous hit by Papali’i. Rory Scannell on now.

Crowley hoofs Munster deep into the Castres 22′.

60′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Castres again defend Munster with relative ease. Eventually Tom Farrell chips through into touch on the 5′, but the French side win their own lineout and clear.

61′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Unbelievable silly penalty conceded by Tadhg Beirne in three-point territory for Castres. They’ll have a chance to stretch this to a three-score game after Beirne plays the ball while clearly off his feet.

63′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Wow. Julien Dumora, kicking instead of Fernandez who is gone off, misses an absolute sitter. Honestly, that could have been game.

Munster need to get motoring here. Biggest let-off of the game. Time to make it count.

64′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Back into the Castres 22′ go Munster with the penalty to touch by Crowley. Castres offside around midfield.

They’ve gotten so little purchase out of these opportunities all day, Hodnett’s try aside. But here’s another serious chance!

67′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Munster maul it from about 10 metres out and win a penalty. Crowley nudges them to the 5′. They’ll go again. Need something here. Need something.

68′ – CAS 13-7 MUN: Castres bring down the maul again and lose a man for the third time. Replacement tighthead Nicolas Corato the fall guy.

69′ – TRY FOR MUNSTER! JOHN HODNETT AGAIN! MUNSTER’S PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF!

Munster almost botch it a couple of times, including the lineout, but they eventually sneak over through the West Cork man. And Jack Crowley has a chance to kick Munster into the lead from the left-hand side.

Showered with boos, Crowley nails it!

Munster in front!

My apologies! I somehow had Munster down for an eight-pointer, there! But they do lead!

73′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Huge scrum penalty won by Castres well inside Munster’s half and they retake they lead almost instantly from the tee!

Crowd enjoyed that one.

75′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Patient attack by Munster ends with an attempted bridge pass by Mike Haley which puts Jack O’Donoghue away but it clearly went forward. Ridley spots it. Scrum Castres.

That pass has not been working for Munster all year.

76′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Dave Kilcoyne off, Stephen Archer back on. Oli Jager gone to loosehead.

Castres immediately win another scrum penalty inside their own half.

77′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Castres attacking now on the Munster 22′. They win a penalty in the maul for side entry and, rather than try to stretch their lead to five from the tee, they go to the corner!

78′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Castres botch the lineout and Munster clear through Crowley. But time is running out.

79′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Munster possession in their own half. Ninty seconds to go.

80′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Munster win a penalty advantage just inside their own half but they’re up now towards the Castres 10′.

80′ – CAS 16-14 MUN: Ridley brings it back for the pen. It’s about 55 metres from the sticks in soggy conditions. Too far, reckons Crowley.

He goes to the corner — and he misses touch.

Game over. Shocking stuff.

Castres maintain their unbeaten home record. Munster’s away struggles continue. That was an awful performance by the southern province and an awful game in totality.

But a great win for Castres, who are still alive in the Champions Cup.

Thanks for joining me for live updates. ‘Til next time, take it easy!