All of the Champions Cup team news and line-ups for Saturday and Sunday’s matches featuring sides from the English Prem can be found below as clubs tackle their third of four pool matches.
Bulls v Bristol Bears
Rich Lane will make his first start of the season in place of the unavailable Louis Rees-Zammit as Bristol aim to make it three Champions Cup wins out of three.
The Wales winger misses out because of concussion return-to-play protocols, while Kieran Marmion starts ahead of substitute Harry Randall at scrum-half. George Kloska returns to the starting 15 alongside Joe Batley who is back from suspension to partner Pedro Rubiolo in the second row.
Open-side flanker Fitz Harding captains the side with England prop Ellis Genge and experienced Argentina international Matias Moroni on the bench for the trip to Pretoria.
Bulls: Le Roux; de Klerk, Kriel, Vorster, Jacobs; Pollard, Papier; Wessels, Grobbelaar, Louw, Wiese, Nortje (capt), Van Staden, Louw, Rudolph.
Replacements: Van der Merwe, Steenekamp, Smith, Vermaak, Gumede, Burger, Gans, Petersen.
Bristol: Lane; Heward, Janse van Rensburg, Williams, Ravouvou; Jordan, Marmion; Lahiff, Oghre, Kloska, Rubiolo, Batley, S Grondona, Harding (capt), Mata.
Match officials
Referee: Pierre Brousset (Fra)
Assistant referees: Jeremy Rozier (Fra), Benjamin Hernandez (Fra)
Investec Champions Cup Pool 4
Bulls v Bristol Bears
Saturday, 10 January at 13:00 GMT
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Sale v Sharks
Sale Sharks wing Obi Ene will make his first Champions Cup start on Saturday against South African side Sharks.
The 22-year-old has impressed on loan at Champ side Caldy and is one of three changes to the side defeated by Bristol last Friday.
Scotland scrum-half Gus Warr replaces the injured Raffi Quirke, with Nathan Jibulu coming in at hooker for England’s Luke Cowan-Dickie.
Sharks have opted against bringing the majority of their South Africa internationals, which includes captain Siya Kolisi, over to Manchester.
Investec Champions Cup Pool 1
Sale v Sharks
Saturday, 10 January at 17:30 GMT
Sale: Carpenter; Ene, Du Preez, Ma’asi-White, O’Flaherty; Ford, Warr; Rodd, Jibulu, Harper, Bamber, Van Rhyn (capt), Vermeulen, Dugdale, T Curry.
Replacements: Caine, McIntyre, John, Burrow, Andrews, Hanson, Louw, Wehr.
Sharks: Kunene; Penxe, Venter, Julius, Malan; Masuku, Braude; Mazibuko, Swart, Koch, Rahl, Van Heerden, Mavesere, Tshituka, Hatton (capt).
Match officials
Referee: Ben Breakspear (Wal)
Assistant referees: Adam Jones (Wal) and Ben Connor (Wal)
- 3 days ago
Leicester Tigers v Bayonne
Bayonne centre Manu Tuilagi will return to Mattioli Welford Road to face Leicester Tigers
Despite his family’s 20-year association with Tigers, the 34-year-old left in 2020 after making his debut in 2009.
Wales flanker Tommy Reffell replaces Sam Williams in one of three changes to the Leicester starting XV that defeated Saracens.
Charlie Clare comes in at hooker for Jamie Blamire, while Gabriel Hamer Webb, who returns from a hamstring injury, is named on the left wing in place of Ollie Hassell-Collins.
Leicester: Steward; Radwan, Wand, Bailey, Hamer-Webb; Searle, Van Poortvliet; Smith, Clare, Heyes, Henderson, Chessum (capt), Thompson, Reffell, Cracknell.
Replacements: Blamire, Haffar, Hurd, Moro, Ilione, Whiteley, Woodward, Pearson.
Bayonne; Spring, Lapegue, Martocq, Tuilagi, Hannoun; Boyle-Tiatia, Tilloles; Calles, Martin, Cotet, Iturria (capt), Garcia Iandolino, Leota, Marchesin, Ariceta.
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Match officials
Referee: Hollie Davidson (Sco)
Assistant referees: Ru Campbell (Sco) and Jonny MacKenzie (Sco)
Investec Champions Cup Pool 3
Leicester Tigers v Bayonne
Harlequins v Stormers
Harlequins coach Jason Gilmore has made seven changes as his side aim to put their disappointing domestic form to one side against the Stormers on Sunday.
Full-back Tyrone Green returns to the team for the first time since October and Cadan Murley is back on the wing, while centre Bryn Bradley and scrum-half Lucas Friday make their first European starts.
The three changes in the pack are all in the front row as Simon Kerrod, Jack Walker and Pedro Delgado start.
Alex Dombrandt skippers the side from number eight and is joined by Chandler Cunningham-South and Jack Kenningham in the back row.
Harlequins: Green; David, Northmore, Bradley, Murley; Smith, Friday; Kerrod, Walker, Delgado, Petti, Kieran Treadwell, Cunningham-South, Kenningham, Dombrandt (capt).
Replacements: Turner, Hobson, H Williams, E Williams, Carr, Lawday, Green, Evans.
Stormers: Gelant; Maart, Hartzenberg, Willemse (capt), Burger; Matthee, Duvenage; Kebble, Vokozela, Porthen, Evans, Van Heerden, Nel, Dixon, Theunissen.
- 1 day ago
Match officials
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
Assistant referees: Shota Tevzadze (Geo), Amber Stamp-Dunstan (Wal)
Investec Champions Cup Pool 3
Harlequins v Stormers
Sunday, 11 January at 13:00 GMT
Bordeaux v Northampton
Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson makes five changes from last weekend’s big win over Harlequins.
It is the first meeting of the two sides since last season’s Champions Cup final which Bordeaux won 28-20. Both teams have earned maximum points from their opening two pool matches this season.
Craig Wright, Trevor Davison, Henry Pollock, Rory Hutchinson and Ollie Sleightholme all come into the starting line-up. Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith start in the half-backs, Tommy Freeman is at centre and George Hendy moves to full-back.
Bordeaux: Rayasi; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Page-Relo; Poirot, Lamothe (capt), Sadie, Coleman, Cazeaux, Du Preez, Woki, Matiu.
Replacements: Barlot, Perchaud, Tameifuna, Palu, Vergnes-Taillefer, Retiere, Carbery, Janse van Rensburg.
Northampton: Hendy; Sleightholme, Freeman, Hutchinson, Todaro; Smith, Mitchell; Fischetti, Wright, Davison, Coles, Van der Mescht, Chick (capt), Pearson, Pollock.
Match officials
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
Assistant referees: Robbie Jenkinson (Ire), Padraic Reidy (Ire)
Investec Champions Cup Pool 4
Bordeaux v Northampton
Sunday, 11 January at 15:15 GMT
- 1 day ago
Saracens v Toulouse
Former England captain Owen Farrell has been named on the bench as Saracens host Toulouse in the final match of the weekend.
The 34-year-old returns to the matchday squad after recovering from a minor hamstring injury that kept him out of the loss to Leicester last weekend.
Fergus Burke continues at fly-half and captain Maro Itoje, who last started a game in November, is named in the second row.
Teenager Noah Caluori, who scored twice in the win over Clermont in round one, starts on the right wing.
Six-time European champions Toulouse suffered a surprise loss to Glasgow in round two and have named a strong team that is captained by star scrum-half Antoine Dupont.
Saracens: Daly; Caluori, Lozowski, Hartley, Segun; Burke,Van Zyl; Mawi, George, Street, Itoje (capt), Tizard, McFarland, Gonzalez, Willis.
Replacements: Hadfield, Carre, Riccioni, Onyeama-Christie,Earl, Bracken, Farrell, Malins.
Toulouse: Ramos; Delibes, Costes, Chocobares, Lebel; Kinghorn, Dupont (capt); Ainu’u, Marchand, Aldegheri, Flament, Meafou, Willis, Jelonch, Roumat.
Match officials
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Ita)
Assistant referees: Ru Campbell (Sco), Federico Vedovelli (Ita)
Investec Champions Cup Pool 1
Saracens v Toulouse
Sunday, 11 January at 17:30 GMT
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Source: BBC

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