Connacht v Bordeaux Bègles takes place at The Sportsground (Galway Sportsgrounds) in Galway. The weekend of December 8 is when the Investec Champions Cup gets underway. Four rounds of pool play will precede the start of the knockout stages in April. On May 25, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium will host the final.
On Friday, December 8, Glasgow Warriors and Connacht Rugby take on Union Bordeaux Begles to begin the season. The most successful team in the league, Toulouse, will then take against Cardiff at home on Saturday in an attempt to win a record-tying sixth European championship. Bath plays Ulster, while Saracens travels to Pretoria to play the Bulls of South Africa.
Connacht v Bordeaux Rugby Match Preview
Pete Wilkins, the coach of Connacht, has witnessed scrum-half Caolin Blade have an incredible start to the season.
The native of Galway wore the No. 9 jersey in five of Connacht’s eight Rugby games up to this point, which culminated in an absolutely amazing performance that earned him Man of the Match against Leinster last week. Blade’s name will be called once again before the Champions Cup opener against Bordeaux-Begles in Galway on Friday night.
But the decision of exactly who should be at No. 10 will keep the manager up at night this week, as JJ Hanrahan’s return and Jack Carty’s presence have set them up for an intriguing matchup this early in the season.
- Glasgow Warriors v Northampton Saints – Friday, December 8, 20:00
- Connacht Rugby v Union Bordeaux Begles – Friday, December 8, 20:00
- Toulon v Exeter Chiefs – Saturday, December 9, 13:00
- Bath v Ulster – Saturday, December 9, 15:15
- Toulouse v Cardiff – Saturday, December 9, 15:15
- Bulls v Saracens – Saturday, December 9, 17:30
- Munster v Bayonne – Saturday, December 9. 17:30
- Bristol Bears v Lyon – Saturday, December 9, 20:00
- Sale Sharks v Stade Francais – Sunday, December 10, 13:00
- La Rochelle v Leinster – Sunday, December 10, 15:15
- Leicester v Stormers – Sunday, December 10, 15:15
- Racing 92 v Harlequins – Sunday, December 10, 17:30
- Bayonne v Glasgow Warriors – Friday, December 15, 20:00
- Northampton v Toulon – Friday, December 15, 20:00
- Saracens v Connacht Rugby – Saturday, December 16, 13:00
- Union Bordeaux Begles v Bristol Bears – Saturday, December 16, 15:15
- Lyon v Bulls – Saturday, December 16, 17:30
- Cardiff v Bath – Saturday, December 16, 20:00
- Ulster v Racing 92 – Saturday, December 16, 20:00
- Stormers v La Rochelle – Saturday, December 16, 13:00
- Leinster v Sale Sharks – Saturday, December 16, 17:30
- Harlequins v Toulouse – Sunday, December 17, 15:15
- Exeter Chiefs v Munster – Sunday, December 17, 13:00
- Stade Francais v Leicester – Sunday, December 17, 17:30