Match Preview: Gloucester make Heineken Champions Cup return against Bordeaux

Match Preview: Gloucester make Heineken Champions Cup return against Bordeaux

Gloucester Rugby return to the Heineken Champions Cup on Saturday as they welcome Union Bordeaux-Bègles to Kingsholm Stadium on Saturday.

Gloucester, who sit fourth in the Gallagher Premiership, were in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season, going out to Saracens in the quarter-finals.

The hosts will take heart from Bordeaux’s dismal away record, with the French side failing to win away from home since May 2021. However, they have won all bar one of their home games in this season’s TOP 14 and will provide a stern test for George Skivington’s men.

Bordeaux were Heineken Champions Cup semi-finalists in 2021 and progressed to the Round of 16 last time out, losing to eventual champions Stade Rochelais.

The Pool A match will be shown on BT Sport, beIN SPORTS, SuperSport and FloRugby, with kick-off at 15:15 (UK and Irish time).



       
       

Key quotes:

Alex Craig (Gloucester Rugby): “[The Kingsholm crowd is] massive. It always is. It’s always like our 16th man. The Shed, I’m sure, will be very up for that game. I think there’s that extra special touch. Every game that we play in the Premiership is massive, but I think Heineken Champions Cup is a little bit different in that sense. It’s definitely special.”

Gloucester Rugby

  • Gloucester Rugby’s Santiago Socino finished last season as the EPCR Challenge Cup’s top try scorer with four. Three of these came in a single match against Dragons RFC in Round 5.
  • Gloucester made more box kicks in the EPCR Challenge Cup last season than any other club, putting up 71 in total.
  • Gloucester not only scored the most maul tries in the EPCR Challenge Cup (eight) but also made the most maul metres (264).
  • Ruan Ackermann has made more carries than any other player in the Gallagher Premiership this season (138), making dominant contacts with 49 of these – more than any other player in the league.

Union Bordeaux-Bègles

  • Full back Nans Ducuing made more carries in a single match last season than any other player, getting his hands on the ball 23 times against Leicester Tigers in Round 1.
  • Union Bordeaux-Bégles managed the most line out steals in the 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup (eight, equal with Leinster).
  • UBB haven’t won away from home since May 2021 in all competitions.

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