Pau vs Northampton Saints – Can last season’s Finalists go a step further?

The European Rugby Champions Cup is just around the corner. The first Pool of matches has thrown up some exciting matchups, and Pau against Northampton Saints is just that. Northampton reached the Final of the competition last season and will be keen to finally add to their solitary ERCC trophy they won in 2000. While Pau are certainly the underdogs in this one, Northampton will have to make sure they keep their focus against a side who have shown steady improvement in recent years.. The Top 14 side secured an 8th place finish in their domestic league, which in turn ensured qualification to the Champions Cup.

Northampton Saints enjoyed an excellent 24/25 Champions Cup, reaching the Final where they were beaten by Bordeaux Begles. That was the first ECRR Final the Saints had reached since 2011. The Saints have started this season very well, too, currently sitting joint top of the Premiership rugby table.

Pau, or Section Paloise to give them their official name, won 13 and lost 13 of their games in France’s top division last season. While they’re certainly inconsistent, a points tally of 61 was enough to secure qualification to this competition.

We’re going to take a look at how this game might play out. Will the experience and expertise of Northampton Saints be too much for their opponents? Or can Pau cause a stir in the first stages of the European Rugby Champions Cup and come away with a victory? Read on to find our Pau vs Northampton Saints prediction.

After impressing in this competition last season, Northampton Saints will be looking to go a step further and win the Champions Cup for only the second time in their history. Their first success came in 2000, and with the exception of a Final appearance last time out, as well as in 2011, Saints have struggled to come close to repeating that success. There are some great sides in this competition, with Northampton Saints being one of them. They’ve been drawn into Pool 4, alongside last season’s winners Bordeaux Begles. Despite this, Saints will fancy their chances of progressing through the group in a top two position.

They’ll have to start the competition well, though, and in that regard Pau might be ideal opponents. However, this game is taking place at the Stade du Hameau and with a roaring home crowd cheering them on, Pau will also have high hopes of starting their Champions Cup adventure with a win. The home side have also had a great start to their current Top 14 season, currently sitting in third place in the standings.

This is the first time the two sides have faced each other in a competitive game so there’s no record to study as far as our Pau vs Northampton Saints prediction goes. Instead, we’ve analysed recent form, specifically focusing on Pau’s form at home and Saints’ performances on the road.

What is the latest team news?

Another key aspect we’ve explored when developing our Pau vs Northampton Saints prediction is team news. Below, we’ll talk about likely starters for both sides.

Pau – Looking to continue their good start to the season

There are very few rugby fans who are giving Pau the slightest chance of doing anything of note in this competition. However, they’ve had a great start to their Top 14 campaign, which has featured a win over Pool 4 rivals Bordeaux Begles. They’re a side who are constantly improving and if they can transfer their domestic form into this competition they’ll certainly surprise a few.

Star man Axel Desperes will start this one, alongside Lekso Kaulashvili, Grégoire Arfeuil and Facundo Isa.

Northampton Saints

Saints start their Champions Cup adventure with the hope, and possibly expectation, of at least repeating their performances of last season. However, they’ve lost their last three games in all competitions and will need to bounce back quickly.

Captain George Furbank will start this one, as well as Fin Smith. We’re also likely to see Amena Caqusau and Edoardo Todaro on the wings.

Where to watch Pau vs Northampton Saints

There are a range of official broadcasters who will be showing European Rugby Champions Cup fixtures live. Alongside these television broadcasters, there are a number of betting sites from across the globe who can also provide their users with a Pau vs Northampton Saints live stream. While some betting sites will stream the game free, others might require a bet placed on the match or a funded account in order to activate the broadcast.

Text commentary is available on the official websites and social media channels of both clubs, as well as the Investec Champions Cup website. Live streaming is also available from ECPR.tv.

Take a look at the list below to find official broadcasters of the Champions Cup in your region. Some broadcasters are free to air, while others will require a paid subscription. Note that beiN Sports will also be showing fixtures live in a number of countries across Asia, Africa and Europe.

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

Prediction for Pau vs Northampton Saints

While Pau are certainly a team on the up, it’s a big ask for them to get a win against the might and experience of Northampton Saints. It’s true that Saints aren’t having the best run of form, but still they should have enough to start off their European Rugby Champions Cup with a comfortable victory.

And comfortable we think it will be. Of course, Pau have some danger men the Saints will have to look out for, but in all honesty this should be a reasonably easy win for the English team. Our Pau vs Northampton Saints prediction is Saints to win with a -12.5 Handicap.

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