PARIS - Defending champions Racing 92 once again failed to get past Top 14 rivals Castres, falling 31-23 in the early French rugby championship clash on Saturday.
Racing 92's lock Leone Nakarawa grabs the ball in a line out next to Castres' flanker Alex Bias (R) during the French Top 14 rugby union match on September 24, 2016, in Castres
A week after their 41-30 demolition of arch-rivals Toulon, Racing could not find a way past Castres, the only team they failed to beat last season.
"The European Cup is the number one priority for the club this season," said Racing coach Laurent Labit, a former player and coach at Castres.
"The standards of the Top 14 are rising all the time and teams are growing."
The champions were boosted by new recruit Leone Nakarawa for their trip southwest with the Fijian lock the high point for his team as he started for the first time.
Olympic sevens gold medallist Nakarawa set Racing on their way with a classy move, beating three defenders to allow prop Eddy Ben Arous to touch down after 16 minutes, and the 28-year-old Fijian pulled his team back into the match with a 70th-minute try.
Rodrigo Capo Ortega and Geoffrey Palis touched down for Castres either side of the break with Argentine Benjamin Urdapilleta's try two minutes from time sealing victory and depriving Racing of a bonus defensive point.
Castres won the corresponding fixture 34-8 last season and back-rower Alexandre Bias said his team enjoy the challenge of taking on the heavyweights of the championship.
"Playing Racing at home is a positive pressure and it was easier for us after the interval with the wind," he said.
"But it's just one step. If we lose by 40 points at Clermont (their next game) this fine win will be forgotten."