Losing start for Farrell on Racing 92 debut

WRAP: Former England captain Owen Farrell was on the losing side in his Racing 92 debut as Castres snatched the victory at the death to record a 31-28 win in the Top 14 on Saturday.

The 112 time capped England flyhalf, who spent his entire professional career with Saracens before making the move to Racing 92 slotted his first points for his new team in the opening 10 minutes with a conversion attempt courtesy of a Henry Arundell try.

Farrell landed three more conversion attempts which included one from a Maxime Baudonne try two minutes from full-time – having clawed back from a 12 point deficit in the last 10 minutes to get within reach of an impressive away victory.

Farrell missed two penalty attempts that still left Racing 92 in a vulnerable position and it proved to be costly when Castres wing Christian Ambadiang’s individual brilliance snatched victory for the home team.

“Farrell controlled the game well, had a perfectly decent outing,” said Racing head coach Stuart Lancaster, who gave the flyhalf his first England cap.

“In the end, the turning point was the return of Castres winger Christian Ambadiang,” added the former England coach, whose 23-year-old son Dan Lancaster also made his Top 14 debut as a second half replacement for fullback Max Spring.

Another high-profile Top 14 signing – Stuart Hogg scored his first try for Montpellier but last season’s top try-scorer Baptiste Couilloud also crossed the whitewash as Lyon secured an away win in round one – a feat they failed to do in 13 games last season.

Centre Manu Tuilagi suffered a fractured hand in pre-season that ruled him out of Bayonne’s opening clash against Perpignan, in a match where Bayonne also snatched victory from the jaws of defeat by 21-19.

Perpignan had the lead for the majority of the match through the boot of Italy international Tomasso Allan, but a 50 metre penalty attempt from Joris Segonds clinched victory for Bayonne.

Cleremont had a comfortable victory over Pau by 39-7 with former Wallaby Rob Simmons dotting down for the second of their five tries.

In the late game on Saturday, 2023 runners up Bordeaux-Begles got a victory over Stade Francais by 46-26 at the Stade Chaban Delmas stadium.

In the repeat of last year’s semifinal, which Bordeaux won 22-20, the home side quickly got on the scoresheet with Nicolas Depoortere grabbing a brace and France international Damian Penaud also dotting down in the six try victory.

The Parisians managed to deny Bordeaux a bonus-point when Sekou Macalou went over for a second try in the last play of the game.

Champions Toulouse travel to Brittany to face newly promoted Vannes on Sunday.