Northampton Saints 51 Castres Olympique 16: Tom Vickers' review and player ratings

On the first weekend of May, Phil Dowson's men will face Leinster in a titanic European tussle for the second season in succession, having put Castres to the sword on Saturday evening.

It is another hugely special achievement for this special Saints side, who continue to fly the Gallagher Premiership flag on the biggest stage.

The English champions may not have had the season they had hoped for at home - injuries and absences have hit the black, green and gold to leave them eighth in the league standings.

But in Europe, they have put on their best suit and feasted at the top table.

The only blemish on their incredible record came in Paris back in January, when they were down to the bare bones and were eventually beaten by Stade Français, having initially soared into a 21-0 lead.

That defeat still leaves a sour taste in the mouth as had Saints been able to name anything close to a first team, they would most likely have avoided a trip to Ireland and instead enjoyed a semi-final at Milton Keynes.

But as it is, they must do it the hard way again.

They will be tasked with travelling to Dublin, where they lost 20-17 last season, letting the nerves get to them as Leinster flew into a big lead, only for Saints to come roaring back and almost snatch the most incredible of victories.

The task this time round somehow seems even tougher than it did on that day at Croke Park.

Leinster have won both knockout matches to nil, scoring an eye-watering 114 points in the process.

They have a squad that is stacked with talent and they will have the advantage of playing at the Aviva Stadium, which has somehow been allowed to be used as a 'neutral venue', even though they have just won a quarter-final there.

So the obstacles are certainly sizeable for Saints, who will have some real selection dilemmas in the next couple of weeks, especially as they are starting to become threadbare in the backs due to long-term injuries to Ollie Sleightholme and George Hendy.

But whatever happens, Phil Dowson's men should take real pride from what they have already achieved.

To reach back-to-back Champions Cup semi-finals with what is estimated to be the seventh biggest budget in the Premiership is nothing short of outstanding.

Saints have pieced together a slick team that becomes so hard to stop when it gets up a head of steam.

They showed that against Castres, taking the game away from the French side with a second-half blitz that included some sparkling scores.

And for the second week in succession, Saints, who had comfortably beaten Clermont Auvergne eight days earlier, floored French giants by sucking the life out of them with their speed of play.

Castres tried a few tricks to ruffle Saints feathers, with a series of cheap shots failing to get the desired rise from the black, green and gold.

And even a couple of of the strangest refereeing calls you will see in the competition this season couldn't derail Dowson's men.

Instead, they took it all in their stride, refusing to be deterred when Castres cut their lead to just four points early in the second period.

Captain Fraser Dingwall was a microcosm of his team's calmness as he kept his cool, despite several incidents that could have provoked a fiery response.

And so Dingwall and his serene Saints remain on track, knowing an even bigger battle lies in wait at the start of May.

These are days for Saints supporters to really relish.

As mentioned last week, and worth reiterating this week, the black, green and gold had lost 10 Champions Cup matches in succession before claiming a superb win at Glasgow Warriors back in December 2023.

That victory has been the catalyst for two memorable European campaigns that should be truly savoured considering the financial firepower Saints are continuing to contend with.

They will be up against it again in Dublin.

But as they showed last season, it would be foolish to write them off too early.

How they rated…

JAMES RAMM - really impressive from the full-back, who emptied the tank with a performance in which he threatened Castres at every turn... 8.5

TOMMY FREEMAN - a quieter day than he enjoyed against Clermont but still popped up with a sensational try during the first half. Class... 8

BURGER ODENDAAL - makes such a difference for Saints every time he takes to the field as his ability to carry through contact is massive for this team... 8.5

FRASER DINGWALL - the captain was a picture of composure despite some Castres cheap shots and some poor calls from the officials. His performance in the action and out of it was truly commendable... 8.5

GEORGE HENDY - such a shame to see him forced off with a serious shoulder injury. Saints will really miss his X factor, which he showcased here in just three minutes on the field

FIN SMITH - the fly-half showed his defensive ability with some more huge hits and he was in the thick of the action throughout, shining on the big stage yet again... 9

ALEX MITCHELL - CHRON STAR MAN - produced two moments of absolute magic to set up tries for Henry Pollock during the second period and even got his hands on the ball at the breakdown to stop a Castres attack... 9

MANNY IYOGUN - some good handling from the prop as he played his part in some slick attacking, and he also did well at the set piece... 8

CURTIS LANGDON - a typically all-action performance from this man as he once again set the tone for his team, and also showed some tidy footwork on his way to scoring a try... 9

TREVOR DAVISON - showed off his handling skills in one move that led to a try and also did the fundamentals of his game really well... 8

TEMO MAYANAVANUA - was harshly sin-binned for simply trying to get a Castres player off Henry Pollock during a needless scruffle sparked by the French side. Did well overall... 7

ALEX COLES - a towering display from the lock, who was a strong contender for star man as he scored a try, won lineouts galore and also made some huge carries... 9

JOSH KEMENY - another player who could easily have been man of the match as he produced arguably his best performance in Saints colours, popping up everywhere to great effect... 9

HENRY POLLOCK - added another two tries to his ever-increasing tally and really got under the skin of Castres with his ability and showmanship. A generational talent... 9

JUARNO AUGUSTUS - used his power to put Castres under pressure and he just loves these physical battles against big sides... 8

Replacements (who played more than 20 minutes)

GEORGE FURBANK (for Hendy 4) - what a comeback from the club captain! He set up tries, scored one of his own and prevented one at the other end with a hugely courageous tackle on man mountain Abraham Papalii... 9

RORY HUTCHINSON (for Furbank 55) – got quite a few minutes under his belt during the second half and will have a key role in the next two weeks… 6.5

TOM WEST (for Iyogun 56) – made one huge charge into the Castres 22, which eventually led to a try, and he looked hungry to get stuck in… 7

ELLIOT MILLAR MILLS (for Davison 56) – hasn’t played as much as expected this season but showed again here that he has plenty to offer… 6.5