Martínez gets first start for Castres

Lucas Martínez will get his first start for Castres on Saturday against Pau in the first round of the European Challenge Cup. The stocky Argentine tighthead has appeared as a reserve in three games for Olympique in the Top 14 so far. Martínez was part of the Pampas squad during the Pacific Challenge but has yet to win a senior cap for the Pumas.

Club captain Rodrigo Capó Ortega has been rested this week, while Benjamín Urdapilleta remains sidelined with a serious hamstring injury. On the other side of the field Canadian second row Cameron Pierce makes his Section return after recovering from a neck injury suffered late in the match against Grenoble in September. Santiago Fernández is given a week off after his starring role last week, with big Fijian Jale Vatubua selected in his place.

The two clubs compete in the French Top 14 but have yet to meet each other this season. Castres will return to the Stade du Hameau on January 9 for a Top 14 fixture, with Pau visiting Stade Pierre Antoine two weeks later in European action. Their fourth match against each other of the season comes on April 30 near the end of the domestic season.

PAU
1 Chris King 2 Quentin Lespiaucq 3 Giorgi Natarashvili 4 Claude Dry 5 Daniel Ramsay 6 Loïc Bernad 7 Josefa Domolailai 8 James Coughlan 9 Thibault Daubagna 10 Damien Traille 11 Elijah Niko 12 Jale Vatubua 13 Julien Fumat (capt.) 14 Sireli Bobo 15 Charly Malie

16 Thomas Bianchin 18 Jérémy Hurou 18 Sylvain Charlet 19 Brice Monzeglio 20 Cameron Pierce 21 Samuel Marques 22 Watisoni Votu 23 Marika Vunibaka

CASTRES
1 Saimone Taumoepeau 2 Marc-Antoine Rallier 3 Lucas Martínez 4 Christophe Samson 5 Victor Moreaux 6 Piula Fa’asalele 7 Mathieu Babillot 8 Johnnie Beattie 9 Antoine Dupont 10 Daniel Kirkpatrick 11 Rémy Grosso 12 Romain Cabannes (capt.) 13 Florian Vialelle 14 Romain Martial 15 Julien Dumora

16 Mathieu Bonello 17 Eric Sione 18 Mihaita Lazar 19 Anthony Jelonch 20 Theo Hannoyer 21 Thomas Combezou 22 Louis Decrop 23 Julien Seron