Qualification for a tenth European Challenge Cup quarter-final in 13 attempts is the reward on offer for Connacht today as they attempt to complete a pool double over Bordeaux-Bègles in south west France.
EUROPEAN CHALLENGE CUP – POOL 3: Saturday, January 19
BORDEAUX-BEGLES (3rd) v CONNACHT (2nd), Stade Chaban-Delmas, 4pm local time/3pm Irish time (live Connacht Rugby website/Galway Bay FM/highlights Virgin Media One)
Team News: Ireland second row Quinn Roux will captain Connacht for the first time when they play Bordeaux-Bègles at Stade Chaban-Delmas in their final European Challenge Cup pool game this afternoon.
Roux has played 90 times for Connacht since making his debut in 2014 and signed a two-year extension to his contract earlier in the season. Andy Friend’s team selection for the crunch round 6 clash also includes a debut for Academy scrum half Stephen Kerins.
Kerins, who is 22 and hails from Sligo, forms a new-look half-back partnership with Australian out-half David Horwitz. Two of Connacht’s Ireland Six Nations call-ups, Jack Carty and Caolin Blade, are among the replacements, while two more, Bundee Aki and Tom Farrell, combine in midfield.
Darragh Leader is the only change to the back-three which is completed by Matt Healy and full-back Tiernan O’Halloran, while there are six alterations up front – including the return of number 8 Eoin McKeon who starts his first match since his shoulder injury against Glasgow Warriors in September.
Finlay Bealham and James Connolly are the only forwards retained from last Saturday’s tense 20-18 win over Pool 3 leaders Sale whom Connacht are now level with on 17 points. Bealham has Peter McCabe and Shane Delahunt alongside him in the front row, with Gavin Thornbury partnering skipper Roux, and Gorey youngster Paul Boyle brought in at blindside flanker.
Eoin Griffin returns from injury to feature on the bench along with hooker Jonny Murphy who is named in a Connacht matchday squad for the first time. Friend’s charges travel to France knowing that a win will guarantee them a place in the quarter-finals.
Meanwhile, Bordeaux-Bègles are out of the running for the quarter-finals but will want to build on last week’s five-try 34-27 triumph at Perpignan. Joe Worsley had made five personnel changes, including the addition of Geoffrey Cros and France scrum half Baptiste Serin to the back-line.
Centre Seta Tamanivalu, who has five New Zealand caps to his name, is set for his first start at Stade Chaban-Delmas, while Argentinian Mariano Galarza replaces Kane Douglas in the second row and Samoan international Viliamu Afatia takes over at tighthead prop.
Maxime Lamothe reverts to hooker after a run-out in the back row in the last round. Alexandre Roumat, who captains Bordeaux, comes in at openside flanker with 20-year-old talent Cameron Woki, who has a tournament-leading six lineout steals so far, switching to the blindside.
BORDEAUX-BEGLES: Darly Domvo; Nicolas Plazy, Seta Tamanivalu, Ulupano Seuteni, Geoffrey Cros; Lucas Meret, Baptiste Serin; Laurent Delboubes, Maxime Lamothe, Viliamu Afatia, Mariano Galarza, Cyril Cazeaux, Cameron Woki, Alexandre Roumat (capt), Leroy Houston.
Replacements: Adrien Pélissié, Jefferson Poirot, Vadim Cobilas, Afa Amosa, Nathan Decron, Jules Gimbert, Simon Desaubies, Lucas Lebraud.
CONNACHT: Tiernan O’Halloran; Darragh Leader, Tom Farrell, Bundee Aki, Matt Healy; David Horwitz, Stephen Kerins; Peter McCabe, Shane Delahunt, Finlay Bealham, Gavin Thornbury, Quinn Roux (capt), Paul Boyle, James Connolly, Eoin McKeon.
Replacements: Jonny Murphy, Matthew Burke, Dominic Robertson-McCoy, James Cannon, Eoghan Masterson, Caolin Blade, Jack Carty, Eoin Griffin.
Referee: Marius Mitrea (Italy)
Assistant Referees: Adam Leal, Paul Dix (both England)
Match Odds (Paddy Power): Bordeaux-Bègles? to win: 13/10; Draw: 18/1; Connacht to win: 4/6
Pre-Match Quotes: Andy Friend (Connacht) – “We know that a win of any description will secure a quarter-final spot. Achieving any win away in France is difficult. French teams pride themselves on their home record and make it difficult for the opposition and we expect Bordeaux to be no different.
“Having said that, we will be sticking to the approach that has served us well this season and we will be focusing on our own game. We haven’t really looked at all the different permutations (and potential opponents), all we know is we need to get to Bordeaux and do a job. Ideally it would be a bonus point win but a win is all we’re focusing on at the minute.”
Current Form – Bordeaux-Bègles – (Top 14 Championship): Won 41-19 v Pau (home), Lost 20-8 v Stade Francais (away), Drew 9-9 v Montpellier (home), Lost 22-17 v Agen (away), Won 23-19 v Clermont Auvergne (home), Won 34-22 v La Rochelle (home), Lost 28-25 v Grenoble (away); (European Challenge Cup): Lost 22-10 v Connacht (away), Drew 25-25 v Perpignan (home); (Top 14 Championship): Won 35-13 v Lyon (home), Lost 40-0 v Toulouse (away), Won 36-25 v Toulon (home), Won 22-11 v Perpignan (away); (European Challenge Cup): Lost 50-24 v Sale Sharks (home), Won 17-14 v Sale Sharks; (Top 14 Championship): Won 32-13 v Castres Olympique (away), Won 40-7 v Racing 92 (home), Lost 40-23 v Pau (away); (European Challenge Cup): Won 34-27 v Perpignan (away)
Connacht – (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 27-26 v Glasgow Warriors (home), Won 32-13 v Zebre (home), Lost 17-10 v Edinburgh (away), Won 33-20 v Scarlets (home), Lost 20-3 v Leinster (home), Won 22-15 v Ulster (away); (European Challenge Cup): Won 22-10 v Bordeaux-Bègles (home), Lost 34-13 v Sale Sharks (away); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 22-17 v Ospreys (away), Won 33-12 v Dragons (home), Won 31-14 v Isuzu Southern Kings (away), Won 21-17 v Toyota Cheetahs (away); (European Challenge Cup): Won 22-10 v Perpignan (home), Won 36-21 v Perpignan (away); (GUINNESS PRO14): Lost 33-29 v Leinster (away), Won 21-12 v Ulster (home), Lost 31-24 v Munster (home); (European Challenge Cup): Won 22-10 v Sale Sharks (home)
Top Scorers – 2018/19 European Challenge Cup: Bordeaux-Bègles? – Points: Lucas Meret 26; Tries: Afa Amosa 3; Connacht – Points: Kyle Godwin 20; Tries: Kyle Godwin 4
Previous European Meetings: 3
Saturday, October 13, 2018 – Challenge Cup Pool 3 – Connacht 22 Bordeaux-Bègles 10, the Sportsground
Saturday, October 4, 1997 – Challenge Cup Pool 4 – Connacht 22 Bordeaux-Bègles 15, the Sportsground
Saturday, September 20, 1997 – Challenge Cup Pool 4 – Bordeaux-Bègles 9 Connacht 15, Stade Andre Moga
Match Facts –
– This will be the fourth clash between Bordeaux-Bègles and Connacht, and the westerners has won all three to date
– A win at Stade Chaban-Delmas and Connacht will be in with a strong chance of qualification, but if they finish level on match points with Sale Sharks, then the English Premiership club will top the pool based on the head-to-head record
– Connacht have won eight of their last 10 away games against Top 14 opposition in the Challenge Cup, including each of their last three such fixtures
– Bordeaux have won their last two matches, but they have not enjoyed a longer winning streak in the Challenge Cup since a four-game run in 2001/02
– Bordeaux have won their last two home games when hosting Irish opposition, beating Leinster in 1998/99 and Ulster in 2016/17, both in Europe’s top-tier competition
– Connacht back rower Eoghan Masterson is yet to miss a tackle in this campaign, completing 28 out of 28 so far
– Bordeaux’s Cameron Woki has won the most lineouts (36) this season, including a competition-high six steals. His team-mate, scrum half Baptiste Serin, has landed all five of his shots at goal this season
Challenge Cup Records:
Bordeaux-Bègles –
2017/18: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2014/15: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2013/14: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
2012/13: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2011/12: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2002/03: Reached round 2
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 8
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1996/97: Reached the quarter-finals
Connacht –
2017/18: Reached the quarter-finals
2015/16: Reached the quarter-finals
2014/15: Reached the quarter-finals
2010/11: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
2009/10: Reached the semi-finals
2008/09: Reached the quarter-finals
2007/08: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
2006/07: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2005/06: Reached the quarter-finals
2004/05: Reached the semi-finals
2003/04: Reached the semi-finals
2002/03: Reached the quarter-finals
2001/02: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
2000/01: Failed to qualify from Pool 2
1999/00: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1998/99: Failed to qualify from Pool 1
1997/98: Failed to qualify from Pool 4
1996/97: Failed to qualify from Pool 3
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