Harlequins v Castres predictions and rugby union tips: Visitors won't roll over

Free rugby union tips, best bets and analysis for Harlequins v Castres in the European Champions Cup on Friday.

Where to watch

BT Sport 2, 8pm Friday

Best bet

Castres +15
1pt Evs bet365

Match preview

Harlequins can secure top spot in Pool B with a bonus-point win on Friday but could be made to work hard for their rewards by a stubborn Castres side.

Performances from French sides in Europe have ranged from delightful to dreadful with Castres somewhere in between, going down to defeat in all three of their games but scraping hard and claiming a losing bonus-point on each occasion.

The new format of the Champions Cup means those three precious points give Castres a shot at qualifying for the knockout stages with a win and they could be the side who play with more urgency, based on the line-ups.

Quins have made nine changes to the team that secured a last-gasp win at Cardiff with the Champions Cup’s top point-scorer and last week’s match-winner Marcus Smith dropped to the bench.

With their place in the last 16 already secure, senior coach Tabai Matson has admitted he has got one eye on next week’s return to Premiership action, which is hardly what those punters hoping for a big Quins win want to hear.

Large-margin victories for Quins have been at a premium of late - eight of their last ten matches having been settled by seven points or fewer, giving hope to a Castres side who seldom lie down covering a large handicap.

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