Northampton (United Kingdom) (AFP) - Butter-fingered hosts Northampton held off ill-disciplined visitors Castres to win 49-41 on Friday in a last-16 match of the European Champions Cup.

The French visitors collected two yellow cards in three minutes in the first half and another with 10 minutes left but they were also undone by their poor tackling and covering in defence and by three missed conversions from six tries.

When Northampton did not drop the ball, or pass to their opponents, they threatened a try with every attack. They scored seven times, one a penalty try, and their French fly half Anthony Belleau goaled the other six.

“We seemed to put some good things on them and then coughed up the ball and they capitalised on it,” Saints full-back George Furbank told broadcaster Premier Sports.

Christian Ambadiang dominated the early stages. After seven minutes the Castres winger streaked on to a kick from his scrum half Jeremy Fernandez to touch down in the corner.

Four minutes later, Ambadiang leapt to intercept a pass setting off a counter-attack that ended with Theo Chabouni touching down.

Ambadiang was again the hero three minutes later, dragging James Ramm’s toe over the touchline just before the diving winger could touch the ball against the goal line.

A minute later, as Archie McParland headed for a score, Ambadiang yanked by his collar to earn a yellow card and concede a penalty try.

A man short, Castres attacked. They were poised for a strike from a ruck near the line, when lock Guillaume Ducat hurled himself into Saints flanker Henry Pollock, who had already upset the visitors with his antics.

Ducat received a yellow card.

Even with two extra men, Saints struggled to escape, dropping the ball time and again and conceding a penalty which Fernandez converted.

When Northampton did keep the ball, they punished the under-strength defence with prop Danilo Fischetti smashing through after a lineout.

Three minutes into the second half Saints cut open Castres and Josh Kemeny plunged over. Nine minutes later they did it again and Tommy Freeman scored.

Castres hit back with help from the hosts.

- ‘Never got away’ -

McParland tried a pass from the base of a ruck near his line. Tyler Ardron intercepted to score.

Then Saints lost the ball in the opposing half. McParland failed to field a Castres clearing kick. Saints were saved when Santiago Arata, in turn, dropped the ball as he was about to cross the line for Castres. From the scrum Enzo Herve went over.

Saints immediately threw another interception to Vuate Karawalevu who streaked away to touch down only for the try to be chalked off for an earlier knock on.

“We never thought we were on top of them, we never got away from them in the scoreline, never really managed to deal with the restarts. I never felt the yellow cards were an opportunity, and they played with 14 very well,” Northampton director of rugby Phil Dowson.

Northampton steadied and found two more huge holes through which George Furbank and McParland scored.

Vilimoni Botitu responded for Castres but after Veresa Ramototabua saw yellow for a high tackled on McParland, Fraser Dingwall squirmed through three unenthusiastic defenders to score.

Ambadiang ended the game as he started with with a try, but by then Saints, last year’s losing finalists, already knew they were through to play the winner of the all-English tie between Bath and Saracens next weekend.