Munster face off against Castres on Friday as they look to secure their place in the next round of the Champions Cup, and build on their impressive win against Ulster in the URC last Saturday. If you're curious how to watch Munster in this critical European tie, we've got all the info for you.
Judging by their narrow 19-13 home win over the French side, it will be a tough ask for Munster to secure an away victory.
How to Watch Munster vs Castres
Munster play Castres on this Friday January 14th in Castres at the Stade Pierre-Fabre. Kick off is at 20:00.
If you're wondering how to watch Munster v Castres, the match will be broadcast live on BT Sport 3, with coverage starting at 19:45.
Match Preview
Munster have a 100% record so far in this year’s campaign, but it has been far from a smooth journey.
In their first game against Wasps they recorded a famous victory away from home when a large number of their squad was unavailable due to Covid.
Their second match, against Castres, was a hard fought and narrow victory, in a game that was not pretty on the eye.
🚨MUNSTER NAME TEAM FOR #COvMUN
Brought to you by @nteslimited #SUAF pic.twitter.com/JtxG6IFqqX— Three Red Kings (@threeredkings) January 13, 2022
Conor Murray and Keith Earls both return to the Munster XV. On Wednesday, a disciplinary panel cleared Simon Zebo to play following his red card vs Ulster.
Castres have lost both of their games so far, at home to Harlequins and away to Munster, but have collected two losing bonus points in the process.
While the likes of Toulouse, Clermont, La Rochelle, and Racing, try their upmost to remain competitive domestically and in Europe, Castres' focus has always been solely on Top 14 success.
The last two times they won the Top 14, in 2013 and 2018, they failed to get out of their group. They currently lie third in the Top 14, and given their European results so far, victory against Munster will not be a high priority.
However, Munster struggled at home against a Castres side intent on playing a niggly and annoying brand of rugby, and the Irish side must make sure they do not get sucked into a slugfest in France.
📋 𝗟𝗔 𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗣𝗢 𝗗𝗨 𝗖𝗢
La Banque Populaire Occitane, notre partenaire premium, vous présente la composition du CO pour cette 3ème journée de @ChampionsCup face au @Munsterrugby au stade Pierre Fabre ! 👊
Coup d'envoi demain à 21h00 ! 🔵⚪#COvMUN #TousEnsemble #TeamCO pic.twitter.com/aHJmlPoHmh— Castres Olympique (@CastresRugby) January 13, 2022
Munster will be hoping to see the expansive rugby that their makeshift XV displayed against Wasps. With Haley, De Allende, Farrell, Earls, and Conway in the side, there are no excuses if they are defeated on Friday while playing with a tight and restrictive game plan.
A final reminder that if you're wondering how to watch Munster this Friday night, you'll find the match on BT Sport 3.
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