The Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros agreed to a four-player blockbuster trade on Friday that sends All-Star outfielder Kyle Tucker to Chicago and third baseman Isaac Paredes among the players going to Houston. Whenever a big deal goes down, you can count on one thing at CBS Sports: the trade grades treatment. That means analysis on each involved player, as well as thoughts on the larger circumstances. It also means me attempting to summarize my feelings in the form of a single letter grade. You can find all of that below. First, though, here is the trade in whole: Cubs receive : OF Kyle Tucker Astros receive : 3B Isaac Paredes, 3B Cam Smith , and RHP Hayden Wesneski Now, on to the reason you clicked. Cubs: A The Cubs are coming off a terribly disappointing year that saw them finish 10 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers . How does a team ensure that won't happen again? The Cubs' answer: making an opportunistic trade for one of the sport's 15 best hitters. Truthfully, that description might undersell the 27-year-old Tucker. Over the last three seasons, he ranks in the top 10 in OPS+ and in the top 15 in Wins Above Replacement. He would fare even better in both statistics were it not for the broken shin he suffered last summer that cost him significant time during what would've been a career year. Tucker is an offensive force with a splendid combination of barrel and zone control. He doesn't offer elite top-end exit velocities, but he routinely hits the ball hard and on a line. He's averaged 28 home runs per pop over the last four seasons, and in the last two years he's almost walked as often as he's struck out. It would be perfectly fair to describe him more as a natural hitter with power than a power hitter. Tucker has also shown himself to be an effective and efficient threat on the basepaths, having swiped 66 bags (on 75 attempts) over the last three years. That athleticism lends itself to him generally playing an above-average corner outfield. Add it all together, and the Cubs just landed themselves someone I would rank as their best player. The question for the Cubs is now what comes next -- both within this offseason and with Tucker. I have to believe Chicago will find a way to trade Cody Bellinger over the coming days, as a means of freeing up some money and optimizing the roster. Would the Cubs then be willing to turn around and give Tucker a long-term extension worth whatever it takes (surely at least $30 million annually)? That would be a logical follow-up step for a Cubs team that has a lot of money coming off the books after 2026. The Cubs have time to figure all that out. For now, they should celebrate making a move that shows they're all about atoning for the failures of last season. Astros: B+ Times are changing in Houston. Not only is Kyle Tucker on his way to Chicago, but the inclusion of Paredes in this deal would seem to indicate that franchise mainstay Alex Bregman is on his way out as a free agent, too. Where that leaves left-hander Framber Valdez , himself under team control for just one more season, is to be determined. Your thoughts on this trade will align with how you feel about the Astros' unwillingness to sign Tucker long term. If you're OK with a large-market squad bailing a year early on a superstar, then you can rest easy knowing they received at least fair value back in this trade. If you're not -- and mind you, the Astros have only four players locked in on guaranteed deals beyond the 2026 season, and only three beyond 2027 -- then you probably weren't going to appreciate or co-sign any deal that general manager Dana Brown made here. Both are defensible positions. I do think the Astros had some non-financial incentive to make a move like this. Houston's farm system has suffered from all the years of late or forfeited selections and win-now trades. That matters because it's left the Astros with an aging core that's growing more expensive with each passing year. At some point, they were going to need to infuse their team with youth to avoid a collective decline. However unpleasant you may find this move, it should add two younger bats to the lineup over the coming year. (To wit, the 25-year-old Paredes is projected to be the youngest member of Houston's starting lineup... and he has nearly four years of major-league service time.) There's also this: you can make a real argument that Smith is better than any of the four prospects the Chicago White Sox received for left-hander Garrett Crochet -- and that's with the Astros also returning two other players who have already enjoyed MLB success and have years of team control remaining apiece. Smith, 21, played himself into the 14th slot in the 2024 draft beginning with a strong showing in the 2023 Cape Cod League. A remade swing allowed him to slice into his strikeout rate, dropping it from 28.7% the previous year to 15%. Smith then hit the ground running as a pro, batting .313/.396/.609 with seven home runs and two stolen bases over 32 games. He even closed out the season with a Double-A cameo, suggesting he could -- emphasis on could -- reach the majors during the 2025 campaign. Smith combines above-average strength and patience from the right side, giving him middle-of-the-order potential. Defensively, scouts have questioned his ability to stick at third base for the long haul. It's at least possible that he ends up shifting down the defensive spectrum to another corner. Should that come to pass, there'll be more pressure on him making good on his offensive promise. Paredes, 25, being on the move for a second time in six months speaks to the disconnect between his production (70 home runs, 119 OPS+ since 2022) and the industry's unease with his profile. His exit velocity is abysmal for someone with those power marks, with his average ranking among the 15 worst in the majors. Yet Paredes has mastered the One Neat Trick necessary to outperform his meager strength indicators: he's the master at pulling the ball in the air. No qualified MLB hitter last season pulled a higher percentage of fly balls than Paredes' 23.6%. What that allowed him to do, at least during his time with the Tampa Bay Rays , was take advantage of the Tropicana Field outfield arrangement and stack up home runs that wouldn't have been home runs in any other ballpark. The good news for Paredes is that he seems well suited to launch ball after ball into Houston's Crawford Boxes, in turn breathing new life into his game after a failed stint with the Cubs. Wesneski, 27, has split parts of the last three seasons between the rotation and bullpen, compiling a 3.93 ERA (106 ERA+) and a 3.05 strikeout-to-walk ratio. He has an east-and-west arsenal, led by a standout swing-and-miss sweeper. I suppose it's possible the Astros entertain using Wesneski as a starter, depending on their plans for the rest of the offseason. He has struggled with the home-run ball as a big-league pitcher, however, and he missed two months last season with a strained forearm. Whatever role the Astros deploy him in, I think he'll provide them with some value.Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) is attempting to thwart Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) candidacy to lead Democrats on the House Oversight Committee, according to multiple reports. Punchbowl News and Axios both report that Pelosi has been pushing colleagues to support Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), Ocasio-Cortez’s opponent, for the powerful ranking member position on the Oversight Committee. Punchbowl News, which first broke the news, reports that Pelosi is “actively working to tank” Ocasio-Cortez. While 35-year-old Ocasio-Cortez, who only entered Congress in 2019, served as vice ranking member to Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) this Congress, Connolly, 74, has served on the Oversight Committee since 2011. One Democrat lawmaker told Axios that the trend of older Democrats facing challenges for key positions is beginning to cause worry within the party. “Many members are concerned about [the] precedent these races are setting,” a senior House Democrat told Axios. A similar situation unfolded in the race for the Judiciary Committee’s top Democrat position. Raskin challenged current Ranking Member Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who ultimately decided to step down from seeking another term as the top Democrat, putting Raskin on a glide path to the position. But the efforts of Pelosi, who was hospitalized after sustaining an injury abroad in Luxembourg on Friday, to thwart Ocasio-Cortez could be all for naught. Virtually all Democrats on the Oversight Committee support Ocasio-Cortez’s bid, an anonymous House Democrat told Axios. “That is something that House Democrats’ Steering Committee – which meets Tuesday to make its recommendations – will take seriously, the lawmaker said,” per the outlet. The steering committee will recommend who should lead Democrats on the committee before the conference has an official vote. When she announced her candidacy last week, Ocasio-Cortez wrote, “This is not a position I seek lightly.” “The responsibility of leading Democrats on the House Oversight Committee during Donald Trump’s second term in the White House is a profound and consequential one,” she added.AP Sports SummaryBrief at 1:56 p.m. EST#jiliko 。

A truck carrying a load of Powder River Basin coal (Photo by Dustin Bleizeffer of WyoFile). Montana and Wyoming filed suit against the U.S. Bureau of Land Management on Thursday seeking to overturn the agency’s rule to end federal coal leasing in the Powder River Basin — the nation’s most prolific coal-producing region. Coal mines on the Wyoming side of the basin, which also extends into Montana, directly employ about 5,000 workers, according to the state. The federal agency recently issued its final decision regarding a supplemental environmental impact statement and proposed amendment to land use plans for its Buffalo and Miles City, Montana, field offices, selecting a “no future coal leasing alternative.” It justified the move, in part, by noting that coal companies have not nominated a major new federal coal lease in the region in more than 10 years, and that existing leases not affected by the ban allow mining to continue through 2041 at the current rate of coal production. But the states’ petition for review alleges the BLM’s decision to end coal leasing is unjustified and fails to comply with the Federal Land Policy and Management Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. “Instead of working with the states to address their concerns, BLM pushed through their narrow-minded agenda to stop using coal, ignoring the multiple-use mandate and the economic impacts of this decision, including skyrocketing electricity bills for consumers,” Gov. Mark Gordon of Wyoming said Thursday in a prepared statement. “They did not do their job properly.” The lawsuit was long sought by local officials in northeast Wyoming, as well as the far-right Wyoming Freedom Caucus of state lawmakers, who criticized Gordon for not filing suit earlier in the process. But the state did not have legal standing to sue until the BLM issued its final order, which came in November. Gordon laid out his legal strategy at a town hall event in June in Gillette, assuring local leaders and residents he’d spare no resources in seeking to overturn the ban. He tapped the state’s $1.2 million “coal litigation fund” earlier this year to prepare Wyoming’s case against the BLM and announced an additional $800,000 allocation to the fund to support the effort. Wyoming is now engaged in more than 50 lawsuits against Biden administration regulations that threaten the state’s fossil fuel industries, according to Gordon’s office. “I look forward to the courts scrutinizing this misguided and politically-driven amendment which consciously ignored our country’s increasing demand for affordable energy,” Gordon said. This story originally appeared in WyoFile, an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.For travelers, Puerto Rico is a floating island of desirabilityOpinions expressed by Digital Journal contributors are their own. Deep in the Amazon, the Indigenous Peoples of Aishalton are starting to use the latest aviation and space technology to protect their ancestral lands and cultural heritage. In an upcoming episode of “ First Flights with Kate Broug,” Kate Broug and her team trek to the Amazon rainforest in Guyana — where running water is scarce, electricity is rare, and where drones now have become unlikely allies in a decades-long fight against illegal mining and environmental collapse. Broug, a pilot, journalist, and documentary filmmaker takes her viewers on an eye-popping journey through the Amazon and its historic challenges. Kate’s latest episode showcases how a small indigenous community armed with modern aviation technology can fight and win high stakes battles for environmental conservation. Kate highlights the fascinating interaction of ancient traditions and technology as tribal villagers invoke long standing rituals and then mesh drones and satellite images to defend their environment and preserve their way of life. Guyana’s Aishalton community has embraced innovative drone technology to help protect the Amazon. Villagers first use drones to create detailed 3D maps of their historic and spiritual lands. Those maps both beautifully represent the terrain and serve as critical evidence in asserting indigenous rights. The maps also help to document and protect areas of cultural significance from encroachment. For example, the Aishalton drone team, led by a villager named Gavin, first successfully tracked an illegal aircraft and then used space assets to identify and document illegal clandestine airstrips being built near mining areas. Drones now act as the community’s eyes and ears in otherwise dangerous areas. They capture photographic evidence of illegal mining and drug smuggling, providing crucial information to national law enforcement without putting villagers at risk. Today, satellite assets detect illegal activity, patrolling drones document it and then the authorities intervene. Previously, those same activities would have put villagers very much at risk by hiking through dense rainforest to find and confront often armed intruders. Cameron Ellis, field director at The Rainforest Foundation US, explains, “With drones and satellite data, these communities can now see what’s happening deep in their own territories. This technology allows them to see and act, giving them the power to protect their lands in ways that previously were impossible.” The Aishalton community’s drone program did not spring out of thin air. Instead, The Rainforest Foundation US played a significant role in supporting both Aishalton and other indigenous communities in their conservation efforts. The Foundation provides essential resources, including the drones themselves and access to commercial satellite imagery, empowering local leaders to protect their own lands through a combination of technology and legal advocacy. “What we’re seeing here in Aishalton perfectly demonstrates how indigenous communities can use modern technology to protect their ancestral lands,” Cameron Ellis of The Rainforest Foundation US explains. “It doesn’t replace traditional knowledge but enhances it with new tools.” The program’s ultimate success has been proven in its sustainability. Today, the Aishalton drone program operates largely self-sufficiently, with local villagers like Ezra Jeoffreys both piloting and maintaining the tribe’s drones. This self-reliance ensures that an indigenous community like Aishalton can continue its vital monitoring work going forward. Kate Broug’s recent journey to Aishalton wasn’t without its own hurdles. Lying close to the disputed Venezuela-Guyana border, Aishalton is rife with international threats and illegal cross-border mining. The new Guyanese government’s pro-mining stance also often puts itself at odds with indigenous conservation efforts. And a recent double malaria outbreak added unique risks for the First Flights crew. Despite these difficulties, Broug maintained a singular focus. “The challenges we faced to tell this story pale in comparison to what the people of Aishalton endure every single day,” she reflects. Behind the scenes, Broug kept a diary of her recent visit on Voiijer, a new social media app that connects explorers, researchers and nature enthusiasts. For the Aishalton villagers, struggles such as violence and endemic disease are not fleeting, but constant. And they play out against a backdrop of competing interests — a precarious balance between preserving indigenous heritage and adapting to an increasingly invasive modern life. As Broug observed, “When I first set foot in Aishalton, I brought with me a convenient dichotomy: the miners as villains, the villagers as victims. But the truth is far more complex. The miners, many of them actually themselves Indigenous peoples (and some even Aishalton villagers) are not only plunderers, they are also survivors, navigating a harsh reality in which environmental exploitation often feels like the only way out. And the villagers, far from being passive, are changing too — trying to become true stewards of the forest, armed with a professional grasp of aviation tech. It has become a story about two ways of living, each struggling to survive.” “Chief of Chiefs” Tony James, former Tashao of the Aishalton village, encapsulates the community’s struggle: “We’ve always lived with the forest, but now we must defend it in new ways. The drones help us protect what’s ours from those who would destroy it for gold.” Aishalton’s story represents not just a tale of new technology; it showcases how indigenous communities can take control of their own environmental destiny. By embracing drone technology and other modern tools, the people of Aishalton have become models for other communities facing similar challenges. Kate Broug’s journey through the Amazon highlights a new fusion of traditional wisdom and modern technology, a trend that may help preserve many of the planet’s endangered ecosystems. The Aishalton community’s evolution serves as an inspiring call to action, reminding the world of the vital role indigenous peoples can play in environmental conservation and the power of technology to amplify their voices. Their story is proof of aviation technology’s potential to help fight for environmental preservation and cultural survival.

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A replacement has been named for ABC host Michael Rowland as approaches. or signup to continue reading ABC television newsreader James Glenday, a former Europe and North America correspondent, is taking on the role after . Sports reporter Catherine Murphy was also named as Tony Armstrong's permanent replacement on December 9 after . Ms Murphy joined the national broadcaster in 2018, after moving from Ireland to Australia more than a decade earlier, and has been a fixture on and . "I'm so excited to join the program on a full-time basis. I've loved working with the team when I've filled in and I'm so excited for 2025," she said. is the only show I'd set my alarm at 3am for. Goodbye midweek social life. I love you so much, but it's time to break up." The ABC team has with only presenters Charles Brice, Emma Rebellato and meteorologist Nate Byrne remaining. Mr Rowland said he "loved working on when he announced his departure on December 2. "Every morning is a buzz and it's by far the best job I've had at the ABC," he said. "But after 15 years of 3am starts my body is screaming 'enough!'. The hours have finally caught up with me." Mr Glenday will join co-host Bridget Brennan on the couch from January 20. The anchors met in 2010 when Mr Glenday started his ABC cadetship in Darwin and the pair have formed a strong bond. "It will be a beautiful thing to present the show with Bridget, a long-time friend and fellow millennial. We're quite different people, but for some inexplicable reason she tolerates my terrible jokes, so we get along well," he said. "The chance to join and take over from Michael Rowland, a beloved colossus of Australian broadcasting, is an offer I couldn't refuse." "ABC is the natural place for the biggest names in Australia to come to share their news and stories. I can't wait to begin work with the very talented team." Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au Anna Houlahan reports on crime and social issues affecting regional and remote Australia in her role as national crime reporter at Australian Community Media (ACM). She was ACM’s Trainee of the Year in 2023 and, aside from reporting on crime, has travelled the country as a journalist for Explore Travel Magazine. Reach out with news or updates to anna.houlahan@austcommunitymedia.com.au DAILY Today's top stories curated by our news team. WEEKDAYS Grab a quick bite of today's latest news from around the region and the nation. WEEKLY The latest news, results & expert analysis. WEEKDAYS Catch up on the news of the day and unwind with great reading for your evening. WEEKLY Get the editor's insights: what's happening & why it matters. WEEKLY Love footy? We've got all the action covered. WEEKLY Every Saturday and Tuesday, explore destinations deals, tips & travel writing to transport you around the globe. WEEKLY Going out or staying in? Find out what's on. WEEKDAYS Sharp. Close to the ground. Digging deep. Your weekday morning newsletter on national affairs, politics and more. TWICE WEEKLY Your essential national news digest: all the big issues on Wednesday and great reading every Saturday. WEEKLY Get news, reviews and expert insights every Thursday from CarExpert, ACM's exclusive motoring partner. TWICE WEEKLY Get real, Australia! Let the ACM network's editors and journalists bring you news and views from all over. AS IT HAPPENS Be the first to know when news breaks. DAILY Your digital replica of Today's Paper. Ready to read from 5am! DAILY Test your skills with interactive crosswords, sudoku & trivia. Fresh daily! Advertisement AdvertisementNEW DELHI (AP) — Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist party headed for a victory Saturday in state elections in politically significant Maharashtra while the opposition won mineral-rich Jharkhand state. Polling in the two states are seen as a test of Modi's popularity after his party returned to power in June national elections but was forced to form a coalition government with help from regional partners. India’s Election Commission said Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies have already won 183 of 288 seats and were leading in another 48 seats in Maharashtra, India’s wealthiest state and home to the country's financial and entertainment capital, Mumbai. The opposition Congress party and its allies have won 50 of 81 seats and were leading in another four seats in eastern Jharkhand state, according to the commission. It said vote counting was nearing completion and final results were expected later on Saturday. Modi's BJP and a Hindu nationalist ally currently rule Maharashtra, where Hindus constitute nearly 80% and Muslims 11.5% of its 126 million people. An opposition alliance, including the Congress party, is in power in eastern Jharkhand state. The BJP has used slogans such as, “If you divide, then you will die,” and “If we are united, then we are safe,” to attract majority Hindu votes. The opposition accused it of trying to polarize voters along Hindu-Muslim religious lines. Meanwhile, Priyanka Gandhi from Congress party, the 52-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, is set to make her debut in Parliament after winning the race against a Communist Party candidate by a huge margin of over 400,000 votes in the Wayanad seat in southern Kerala state. She contested a special election after her brother Rahul, who was elected in two constituencies in June, had to vacate one. Her mother Sonia Gandhi is already in Parliament. The BJP had hoped to attract women with a plan that provides 1,500 rupees ($18) a month to over 20 million women in the 21-65 age group whose annual family income is less than 250,000 rupees ($3,010). The Congress party promised women double that amount and free transportation in government buses. The opposition also hoped to capitalize on the simmering disaffection with high youth unemployment, inflation and low crop prices during the BJP’s rule. In September, Congress was able to secure votes in India’s insurgency-wracked Jammu and Kashmir after a 10-year gap. But Modi’s BJP regained momentum in October and won the Haryana state election even though pollsters had predicted an easy victory for Congress.

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BRUSSELS, Belgium — NATO chief Mark Rutte held talks with US President-elect Donald Trump in Florida on the "global security issues facing the alliance", a spokeswoman said Saturday. The meeting took place on Friday in Palm Beach, NATO's Farah Dakhlallah said in a statement. Register to read this story and more for free . Signing up for an account helps us improve your browsing experience. OR See our subscription options.Published 4:19 pm Friday, December 13, 2024 By Data Skrive The Gonzaga Bulldogs versus the UConn Huskies is one of many strong options on Saturday in college basketball play — suggested picks against the spread for 10 games are available below. Watch men’s college basketball, other live sports and more on Fubo. What is Fubo? Fubo is a streaming service that gives you access to your favorite live sports and shows on demand. Use our link to sign up. Bet on this or any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

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Champions Cup: Castres 16 Munster 14 Munster’s hopes of putting a foot in the door of the Champions Cup knockout rounds at the earliest opportunity were dashed in France on Friday night as they narrowly succumbed to Castres at Stade Pierre Fabre. Having beaten Stade Francais in round one six days earlier, a win on the road against the Top 14 side would have given Munster’s European qualification hopes a huge boost with just two more pool games to play but it was not to be, despite Castres losing three players to the yellow cards across 80 minutes. Munster lost a string of players to injury, prop Dian Bleuler, scrum-half Craig Casey withdrawn during a first half that saw the home side take a 10-0 lead before John Hodnett’s try and Jack Crowley’s penalty made it 10-7 at half-time. Peter O’Mahony, Thaakir Abrahams and replacements Dave Kilcyone and Diarmuid Barron were second-half casualties but a second Hodnett try on 69 minutes, again converted by Crowley, edged the visitors within 11 minutes of a famous victory at 14-13, only to concede a scrum penalty on 72 minutes. Trailing 16-14 and with the 80 minutes up, Munster still had the opportunity to sneak victory, only for Crowley’s penalty from inside his own half to be batted back into play by a Castres player and the chance to evaporate. Everything that could have gone wrong did just that for Munster in a challenging opening 40 minutes yet somehow they found themselves just three points in arrears at half-time, John Hodnett’s try off a lineout maul, converted by Crowley handed Costello’s side a lifeline at 10-7. The game had started badly for the visitors as they failed to find any fluency through a series of poor skill executions, not least in terms of tactical kicking and poor discipline. A high tackle by Stephen Archer led to a close-range lineout from which former Connacht No.8 Abraham Papali’I scored the opening try on 13 minutes, while it was the same player who created the second for Castre on the half-hour, his quickly taken penalty inside the Munster 22 clearing a path for prop Quentin Walcker to make it 10-0. Crowley missed a penalty attempt on 18 minutes and then Munster lost loosehead prop Dian Bleuler to a Head Injury Assessment, pre-empting the early introduction of Dave Kilcoyne after almost 12 months sidelined by injury. And their woes were further compounded by the loss to injury of Ireland scrum-half Craig Casey in the sequence of play leading to the home side’s second try. Yet as Casey was being carried down the tunnel for treatment, Walcker turned from hero to villain, guilty of head-on-head contact on Brian Gleeson, the No.8 making his first Champions Cup start for Munster. It was a red-card offence from the upright tackler but Gleeson fell into the collision enough for English referee Christophe Ridley to downgrade the offence to a yellow card on 32 minutes. It was the opportunity Munster needed at the end of a disjointed opening half and a scrum penalty provided the platform, the visitors kicking upfield and striking from their lineout drive, Hodnett breaking off the front from 10 metres out to score an excellent try and as the Castres fans jeered and whistled, Crowley cooly slotted over the conversion to set up the potential for a second-half upset. Munster were gifted another window of opportunity shortly after Walcker’s return from the sin-bin on 42 minutes when right-wing Geoffrey Palis was handed a yellow card for a deliberate knock-on as Castres defended inside their 22. Yet the resulting penalty did not produce the necessary response from Munster, the ball bobbling out of the lineout maul and Tadhg Beirne knocking on at the try line. Castres won the ensuing scrum penalty and then another upfield to allow scrum-half Jeremy Fernandez to extend their lead to 13-7 with a penalty kick with Munster failing to score in the 10-minute sin-bin period and their scrum conceding another penalty to the delight of the home crowd. Munster introduced hooker Diarmuid Barron and tighthead prop Oli Jager on 55 minutes in the hopes of shoring up their under-pressure set-piece, Jager making his return from nine weeks out with a neck injury. Yet there were fresh injury issues to deal with Munster losing both Peter O’Mahony and Thaakir Abrahams to knocks. Castres had a chance to turn the screw further with a Julien Dumora penalty on 63 minutes, but the full-back screwed his kick wide and Munster gladly accepted both that gift and a third yellow card from the home side as tighthead replacement Nicolas Corato was next in the bin. Now it was Munster’s turn to apply pressure, and they laid siege to the Castres try line, winning a penalty advantage at a ruck but scoring without needing it, Hodnett this time striking as play continued. Crowley’s kick was nerveless to edge Munster in front at 14-13 with 10 minutes to play but then Munster handed the initiative straight back to 14-man Castres, conceding a scrum penalty from which fly-half Louis Le Brun regained the lead at 16-14 on 72 minutes. Munster’s ill luck hit again as replacement front-rowers Barron and Kilcoyne were forced off in the final 10 minutes. A penalty close to their own 10-metre line gave hope, only for Crowley’s kick for touch to be bundled back into play to the delight of a noisy home crowd. CASTRES: J Dumora (T Chabouni, 66); G Palis, J Goodhue, A Cocagi (A Seguret, 63), R Baget; L le Brun, J Fernandez (S Arata, 51); Q Walcker (W de Benedittis, 63),G Barlot (L Zarantonello, 63), W Collier (N Corato, 66); G Maravat, L Nakarawa (P Jedrasiak, 63); M Babillot - captain, T Ardron, A Papalii (W de Benedittis (YC), 35-42; F Tukino, 63). Yellow cards: Q Walcker 32-42, G Palis 43-53, N Corato 67-77. MUNSTER: M Haley; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, T Abrahams (R Scannell, 58); J Crowley, C Casey (P Patterson, 31); D Bleuler (D Kilcoyne, 22 – HIA; S Archer 75), N Scannell (D Barron, 55; N Scannell, 76), S Archer (O Jager, 55); F Wycherley, T Beirne - captain; P O’Mahony (T Ahern, 51), J Hodnett (A Kendellen, 70), B Gleeson (J O’Donoghue, 49). Referee: Christophe Ridley (England).