2024 Castres Olympique vs Munster Rugby

Munster Rugby Vs. Castres Lineups, Kickoff Time

Munster Rugby Vs. Castres Lineups, Kickoff Time

Munster heads to France to take on Castres Olympique in the second round of Investec Champions Cup pool play. Here's what to know about the Dec. 13 match.

Dec 12, 2024 by R. R. Ellis
Munster Rugby's Thaakir Abrahams Thomand Park

Munster handily defeated Stade Francais in its opening-round Investec Champions Cup tie, 33-7. 

The Irish side also garnered the bonus point from the match, positioning it at the top of their pool alongside Northampton. 

Up next is Castres, the squad that lost to the aforementioned Saints, propping them at the top of the table with the bonus point. 

Castres Olympique has had a moderately successful Top 14 campaign and is seventh, but if the squad wants to bring home some hardware in 2025, it should start with a win against Munster. 

Munster has stumbled through its first seven URC matches, going 3-4 and sitting in 11th place in the competition. A second win in European Champions Cup competition certainly would go a long way to jumpstarting the Red Army's form. 

Here's what to know about Munster vs. Castres, which takes place Friday, Dec. 13:

How To Watch Munster Rugby Vs. Castres Rugby

The 2024-25 Investec Champions Cup will be broadcast on FloRugby and the FloSports App in the US and Canada.

Munster Rugby Vs. Castres Kickoff Time

The match kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Dec. 13 at Stade Pierre-Fabre in Castres, France. 

Munster Rugby Lineup

  1. Dian Bleuler
  2. Niall Scannell
  3. Stephen Archer
  4. Fineen Wycherley
  5. Tadhg Beirne
  6. Peter O'Mahony
  7. John Hodnett
  8. Brian Gleeson
  9. Craig Casey
  10. Jack Crowley
  11. Thaakir Abrahams
  12. Alex Nankivell
  13. Tom Farrell
  14. Calvin Nash
  15. Mike Haley

Substitutes:

16. Diarmuid Barron, 17. Dave Kilcoyne, 18. Oli Jager, 19. Thomas Ahern, 20. Alex Kendellen, 21. Paddy Patterson, 22. Rory Scannell, 23. Jack O'Donoghue

Castres Olympique Rugby Lineup

  1. Quentin Walcker
  2. Gaetan Barlot
  3. Will Collier
  4. Gauthier Maravat
  5. Leone Nakarawa
  6. Mathieu Babillot
  7. Tyler Ardron
  8. Abraham Papali'i
  9. Jeremy Fernandez
  10. Louis Le Brun
  11. Remy Baget
  12. Adrea Cocagi
  13. Jack Goodhue
  14. Geoffrey Palis
  15. Julien Dumora

Substitutes:

16. Loris Zarantonello, 17. Wayan de Benedittis, 18. Nicolas Corato, 19. Paul Jedrasiak, 20. Feibyan Tukino, 21. Santiago Arata, 22. Theo Chabouni, 23. Adrien Seguret

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 1

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 2

All Times Eastern. 

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 3

Investec Champions Cup 2024-2025 Round 4

Investec Champions Cup Format 

Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup:

  • A multi-pool format, as launched in the 2023-2024 season
  • 24 elite clubs - eight each from the Gallagher Premiership, URC and TOP 14 - in four pools of six
  • Sporting jeopardy, with each club playing against four different opponents, home or away, in the pool stage
  • Four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualify for the Round of 16
  • The Investec Champions Cup will be played over eight weekends, with four pool rounds and four knockout rounds culminating in the 2025 final, which will be staged at Cardiff's Principality Stadium on Saturday, May 24.

Investec Champions Cup Weekends

  • Round 1 – 6/7/8 December 2024
  • Round 2 – 13/14/15 December 2024
  • Round 3 – 10/11/12 January 2025
  • Round 4 – 17/18/19 January 2025
  • Round of 16 – 4/5/6 April 2025
  • Quarter-finals – 11/12/13 April 2025
  • Semi-finals – 2/3/4 May 2025
  • 2025 Investec Champions Cup final – Saturday, May 24, Principality Stadium, Cardiff

Champions Cup Qualifications 

Twenty-four clubs have qualified for the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup as follows:

  • United Rugby Championship (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • TOP 14 (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • Gallagher Premiership Rugby (8): The eight highest-ranked clubs based on their final finishing positions.
  • If not already qualified, the winner of the 2024 Investec Champions Cup will take the place of the eighth-ranked club in its league.

Investec Champions Cup Qualifiers 

  • TOP 14 – Stade Toulousain, Union Bordeaux-Bègles, Stade Français Paris, RC Toulon, Stade Rochelais, Racing 92, Castres Olympique, ASM Clermont Auvergne
  • GALLAGHER PREMIERSHIP – Northampton Saints, Bath Rugby, Sale Sharks, Saracens, Bristol Bears, Harlequins, Exeter Chiefs, Leicester Tigers
  • UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls, Munster Rugby, Leinster Rugby, DHL Stormers, Ulster Rugby, Benetton Rugby, Hollywoodbets Sharks

When Does The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?

The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends Jan. 19, 2025. The Round of 16 starts on April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13. The semifinals are May 2-4. 

The EPCR Championships weekend is in Cardiff, Wales at Principality Stadium. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup). 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the US home to: 

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

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