Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles – Can the reigning Champions prevail?

The European Champions Cup is about to start, and the Pool Stage promises some exciting ties. One such fixture sees South Africa’s Bulls take on the reigning Champions Bordeaux Begles in Pool 4. Both will have high hopes of winning this tournament outright, but they face a tough Pool, with last season’s runners up Northampton Saints also featuring in this group.

• Bordeaux Begles are one of the most exciting sides in the competition and one of the favourites to win the European Rugby Champions Cup outright.
• Bulls finished second in the United Rugby Championship, winning 14 of their 18 fixtures and finishing eight points behind winners Leinster. With that second place finish came qualification to the 25/26 Champions Cup. They’ve had controversies this year, including a number of players questioning the leadership of the team. However, with this behind them, there’s no reason why the South African outfit can’t at least reach the latter stages of this prestigious competition.

Bordeaux Begles qualified for the European Rugby Champions Cup after finishing in 2nd place in the French top division, the Top 14. The Bulls qualified after their second place finish in the United Rugby Championship. Both teams head into this one after winning three and losing two of their previous five games.

These two sides met in January 2024, with the Bulls coming out on top on that occasion. We’re unsure of how much we can read into this result with regards to how their next meeting might go – a lot has changed for both sides since their previous meeting. However, it certainly will be something the Bulls will be keeping in mind as they head into their European Rugby Champions Cup opener.

One of the highlights of the opening weekend, we’ve analysed the form of both sides as we build our Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles prediction.

What is the latest team news?

The Bulls named a 39 man squad for the European Champions Cup. It’s a squad full of experience, with plenty of international players in the ranks. As for Bordeaux Begles, they possess some of the most exciting talent in world rugby and will be looking to become the sixth side to win back-to-back European Rugby Champions Cup titles.

To further develop our Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles prediction, we’ve researched the likely starting line up for both teams as we head into the opening weekend.

The Bulls – Loaded with Experience

There are 18 South Africans in the Bulls squad for their European Champions Cup, many of whom took part in the Nations Series for the Springboks. We’re expecting Handre Pollard to start this one, along with a backline likely to feature Willie le Roux and Canan Moodie.

In the front line, Johan Grobbelaar, Gerhard Steenekamp and Wilco Loux will start, along with Jan-Hendrik Wessels. Cameron Hanekom and Elrigh Louw made the squad despite their injuries. They’ll miss out on this one, and could miss out on the Pool stage completely.

Bordeaux Begles – Can they win two ERCC titles in a row?

Bordeaux Begles won their first ever European Rugby Champions Cup title last season, in the process extending the dominance that French sides have had in this competition over the last few seasons.

Louis Bielle-Biarrey, top try scorer in the Top 14 last season, will start this one looking to continue his fine form. Captain Jefferson Poirot will also take the field, alongside Matthieu Jalibert and wing Damian Penaud have recovered from their respective injuries and are in contention for a starting spot.

Where to watch Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles

There are a variety of official broadcasters across the globe who will be showing Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles, along with every other game in the competition. In addition to television broadcasts, viewers can watch a Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles live stream with a range of betting sites.

The official websites and social media channels of both clubs will provide a text commentary service. You’ll also find text commentary and highlights of the game on the Investec Champions Cup official website.

Below we’ve listed the official broadcasters for Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles worldwide. Some broadcasters are free to air, others will require a paid subscription. If your country isn’t listed below, head over to the EPCR.tv site which will stream every game live.

• France: TVSport
• South Africa: SuperSport
• USA: FloRugby
• UK: S4C, Premier Sports
• Portugal: Sport TV
• Spain: Telefonica

Prediction for Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles

It’s a fantastic opening game to this season’s European Rugby Champions Cup. Two excellent sides, both with hopes, and the ability, to go all the way. For the Bulls, they possess some of the most exciting talent in the competition, but they’re up against a hugely experienced side full of international pedigree.

While we don’t think it will be a runaway victory, it’s difficult to look past the reigning Champions to get their title defence off to a winning start. Our Bulls vs Bordeaux Begles prediction is a win for the away side.

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