Connacht Rugby vs Union Bordeaux Bègles Preview
Rugby Union fans are in for a treat this December as we take a break from the United Rugby Championship. This weekend, the cup competitions begin and you can follow every Irish team as they compete in the European Rugby Champions Cup. This year, we begin with Connacht vs Union Bordeaux Bègles on Friday, December 8, at 8:00 PM.
The match will take place at the Galway Sportsgrounds in Ireland, a fantastic multi-purpose stadium with a capacity of 8,000. It’s the battle of the mid-table as eighth-placed Connacht in the URC host seventh-place Union Bordeaux in the Top 14. The French side will enter this contest full of confidence, having won their last two games. Connacht has lost two on the bounce, including a two-point defeat on the weekend to Leinster. It’s only the first fixture in the European Rugby Champions Cup, but there is a lot to look forward to.
Connacht Rugby vs Union Bordeaux Bègles Head-To-Head and Key Stats
The two sides have only met twice in recent years, both in the European Rugby Challenge Cup. The results went in favour of the Irish, winning the home and away leg in the 2018-19 competition. A lot has changed since these teams met around four years ago, but let’s examine how the games played out.
The first meeting came in October 2018, and Connacht was on the home side. They got off to a fast start, getting a score within 15 minutes, courtesy of Kyle Godwin. Connacht led 10-3 at the interval and they increased their lead within five minutes of the restart. Another Godwin try put the score to 17-3 before Connacht received a yellow card. The referee sent Robin Copeland to the sin bin within 50 minutes played, and Bordeaux utilised the man advantage immediately. Afa Amosa scored the French side’s only try of the game, giving the visitors some hope. However, one final score from Connacht was enough to win the game 22-10.
When Union Bordeaux was the host in January 2019, there was a lot less to separate the two sides. Bordeaux started on the back foot thanks to a Baptiste Serin yellow card eight minutes into the match. Connacht opened an early lead with tries from Healy and Roux. The teams went toe-to-toe in the first period, with five tries scored in the first 40 minutes. Union Bordeaux led at half-time 20-19 and extended the gap to 27 after a Serin try. They held on to the lead until a flurry of points turned the game in the last ten minutes. A Healy and Carty try came too late in the day for a French response, and Connacht won 27-33.
If our first try on Saturday was 🔥, these two aren’t too far behind 🟢🦅#ConnachtRugby pic.twitter.com/3LlTVnbqaX
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) December 4, 2023
On paper, this looks like an even match as both sides have struggled in the regular season. Union Bordeaux Bègles play in the France Top 14, and they sit in the middle of the table after nine matches. Connacht plays in the URC, and they are eighth out of 16 teams with seven games played. However, one side is going into this fixture on the back of consecutive league defeats. Connacht lost to the Bulls on the road 53-27 and last weekend they let an important lead slip in the 81st minute against Leinster. It was a fantastic game of rugby with Connacht impressive throughout. However, losing in stoppage time against local rivals will certainly hurt, especially after going down to 14 men twice.
Bordeaux had an eventful league game last weekend, winning their first away game of the season against US Oyonnax. The match also saw multiple yellow cards, two for the visitors and one for Oyonnax in the final ten minutes. The match was scintillating with both teams trading scores. After the first half, the visitors had a four-point lead, after a late try for Penaud. With the score at 13-17, it was Union Bordeaux that hit first after the break with another score for Penaud. The visitors lost Tatafu with 50 minutes played and Tameifuna went to the sin bin ten minutes later. Oyonnax got back into the game with eight minutes to play before a yellow card of their own to Cassang. With a man down, they could not hold the lead and they lost 23-29 with a late try from Bordeaux.
One team is heading into this fixture full of confidence and the other has the home advantage. While you should never underestimate a French side, we still think betting on Connacht is the right move for this fixture. Sure, that defeat on the weekend will have crushed the team. But, after two losses in a row, head coach Pete Wilkins will know they cannot afford to lose again at home.
Connacht Rugby vs Union Bordeaux Bègles Predictions
Looking at the betting odds available, there is a marginal favourite at the bookies. Connacht has the advantage ahead of the match this Friday, with odds of 8/15. That means a €10 wager will return €15.33 if the Irish win on home turf. Union Bordeaux is only the marginal underdog with odds of 11/8 for a full-time result. Betting the same amount on the away side will yield €23.75 if they are the winners at full-time. A draw does not seem to be on the cards as that has odds of 20/1.
Our prediction for Connacht vs Union Bordeaux Bègles is a victory for the home side. We don’t see either team running away with the scoring, meaning it will be a close game where one side wins by less than five points. In their previous games, Connacht lost by two points, and Union Bordeaux Bègles won by six. It seems likely that if you were betting on this Rugby Union game, less than ten points would settle it.
Betting on Connacht is more likely this Friday, but the side has lost their last two games. Looking at the last four games, Connacht only has one victory. That was a 12-13 win on the road against second bottom in the division, the Sharks. Otherwise, they have lost to Leinster, the Bulls, and Edinburgh in the past month. Union Bordeaux is in much better shape, having won two of their last four games. Before the victories over Oyonnax and USAP, they lost consecutive matches to Stade Rochelais and Section Paloise.
We predict Connacht will win the match and they will be the first team to score ten points in the game. They will come out of the gates strong and look to get the home fans up on their feet early in the first half. From there, Union Bordeaux Bègles will come into the game, but hopefully, Connacht will build enough of a margin to hold them off. If you are going to live bet on this game, betting on Connacht to recover if they go behind seems like a good move.
Connacht Rugby vs Union Bordeaux Bègles Betting Tips
Betting on the European Rugby Champions Cup is exciting as you never know how the teams will play in a group of six. Connacht has the Bears, Bulls, Lyon, and Saracens in the group, so a win on Friday will set them up nicely. Several teams could finish on top of the division, which is why it’s vital to win your home legs and start the cup on the front foot. Both teams will want the win, but Connacht needs it to continue what many were calling a fantastic start to the season.
Betting on Connacht is the best option this Friday, but there are lots of markets to consider besides the match result. One of the easiest ways to bet on a Rugby Union match is to look at the odd or even market. This is where you can predict whether the total points scored in the game will be odd or even. You can also bet on the odd or even score at halftime and the odds are around 5/6 both ways. That means if you bet €30 on this market, you could win €55 if you guess right.
In a close match like this, handicap betting becomes less of an option. The size of the spread is currently four points, so you would need Connacht to win by at least five to win the bet. If Union Bordeaux is within five points at the final whistle, they will win the wager. The odds of the handicap are the same for both sides, currently worth 10/11. A €10 bet will return €19.09, which is almost double the profit compared to betting on Connacht outright.
Rugby betting is never easy, and this match will go down to the wire. If you are considering placing a bet, ensure you don’t stake more than you can afford to lose. In the first game of the cup competition, anything can happen. This could be great news if you like to risk it on underdogs, or it can just be too chaotic to predict. Either way, you need to ensure you gamble responsibly.
If you sign up at Novibet to bet on this game, you can use your welcome bonus across several markets. Your best bet is to look at the team news and see if our prediction lines up with what you believe. If the odds don’t seem worth the risk, there is no harm in not betting on this fixture. There are plenty of exciting rugby games coming up this festive period, and you don’t have to wait too long for the United Rugby Championship to kick up again.
Connacht Rugby Lineup
“He’s available”
Pete Wilkins gives an update on who is available for selection this week for the start of the Champions Cup 👀#ConnachtRugby | 🎟️ https://t.co/Se8O5ZhxhG pic.twitter.com/1p5nBW5dRI
— Connacht Rugby (@connachtrugby) December 4, 2023
While Connacht licks their wounds, fans will be delighted to know that Bundee Aki is in contention this Friday. The Irish international has been missed by Connacht all season, but he has finally recovered from his hamstring injury and could feature against the French side. Even with that boost, there are still several players still out. We are awaiting confirmation of a return date for Gavin Thornbury, Santi Cordero, Oisin McCormack, Shayne Jennings, and Shayne Bolton.
- Connacht Predicted Lineup: P. Dooley, D. Heffernan, J. Aungier, D. Murray, O. Dowling, C. Prendergast, S. Hurley-Langton, S. Jansen, C. Blade, J. Hanrahan, D. Kilgallen, B. Aki, T. Farrell, M. Hansen, and T. O’Halloran.
Union Bordeaux Bègles Lineup
Union Bordeaux Bègles managed their first away victory last weekend against Oyonnax. Head coach Yannick Bru changed his team for the match, including re-introducing Pierre Bochaton after he recovered from injury the week before. Tatafu also returned to the side after one week’s rest, and he picked up a yellow card in that game. Given Union Bordeaux is on the road again, we expect to see a very similar lineup this Friday.
- Union Bordeaux Bègles Predicted Lineup: U. Boniface, M. Lamothe, S. Falatea, G. Petti, K. Douglas, P. Bochaton, M. Gazzotti, T. Tatafu, M. Lucu, M. Jalibert, L. Bielle-Biarrey, Y. Moefana, N. Depoortere, D. Penaud, and R. Buros.
