Cudmore and Capó Ortega to meet in Top 14

Canadian Jamie Cudmore will start in the second-row for Clermont Auvergne who take on Castres at 8:45pm on Saturday. The seventh round fixture is to be Cudmore’s first match in club colors this season. He was unavailable in earlier rounds due to his involvement in the Rugby World Cup.

The team named to face Castres at home features nine changes from the lineup which lost away against Montpellier last weekend. In addition to Cudmore the club welcomes back French internationals including Morgan Parra and Benjamin Parra while former English international David Strettle also returns. Argentine Patricio Fernández will not feature for Clermont.

Another Argentine fly half missing is Benjamín Urdapilleta. The Castres first choice number 10 remains sidelined. Argentina will nonetheless be represented in this match with tighthead prop Lucas Martínez having been named on Castres’ bench

In total Castres have made six changes from the team which lost last weekend. Retaining his place in the second-row and as captain is Rodrigo Capó Ortega. The Uruguayan will play opposite Cudmore in a battle featuring two gladiators from the Americas.

Clermont
15 Abendanon, 14 Strettle, 13 Rougerie, 12 Vulivuli, 11 Planté, 10 Lopez, 9 Parra, 8 Lee, 7 Lapandry, 6 Gerondeau, 5 Jacquet, 4 Cudmore, 3 Ric, 2 Kayser, 1 Domingo (captain)

16 Van der Westhuizen, 17 Chaume, 18 Vahaamahina, 19 Kolelishvili, 20 Radosavljevic, 21 James, 22 Nakaitaci, 23 Kotze

Castres
15 Palis, 14 Smith, 13 Wulf, 12 Cabannes, 11 Martial, 10 Kirkpatrick, 9 Seron, 8 Tulou, 7 Faasalele, 6 Caballero, 5 Capó Ortega (captain), 4 Gray, 3 Montes, 2 Mach, 1 Lazar

16 Rallier, 17 Martínez, 18 Samson, 19 Diarra, 20 Dupont, 21 Dumora, 22 Sivivatu, 23 Houerie