One of the most anticipated matchups of Round 4 arrives at Ashton Gate as Bristol Bears host Bordeaux in a Pool 4 clash with major implications for playoff seeding.
Both teams have already secured spots in the Round of 16, but Sunday’s result could determine not only the top seed in the pool, but potentially the No. 1 seed across the entire Investec Champions Cup field. With form, momentum and history colliding, this fixture carries weight well beyond qualification.
Bristol enters riding one of the hottest streaks in European rugby.
The Bears are on a seven-match winning run across competitions, highlighted by victories over Northampton Saints, Pau, Harlequins, Sale Sharks and the Vodacom Bulls. That Bulls win came in Pretoria in a 61–49 shootout, one of the highest-scoring matches in recent competition history.
Sitting just one point behind Bordeaux in Pool 4, Bristol also trails Bordeaux and Glasgow by a single point in the race for the top overall seed, making a home win potentially transformative.
Bordeaux arrives as the defending 2025 Champions Cup winners and the current leader among all 24 teams in the competition. The French side reinforced that status in Round 3 by defeating Northampton Saints 50–28, handing the Gallagher PREM Rugby leaders their first Champions Cup loss in a rematch of last season’s final.
Bordeaux has won four of its last five matches, with the lone defeat coming on the road in Top 14 play at Clermont. Bordeaux has also won the last two meetings with Bristol, both by 36–17 margins, adding another layer of intrigue to a pivotal European showdown.
Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux Kickoff Time, Lineups
Bristol Bears host Bordeaux at 8 a.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 18, at Ashton Gate in Bristol, England, in Round 4 of Pool 4 of the Investec Champions Cup.
How To Watch Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux
Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux streams live on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States, with full Investec Champions Cup coverage available throughout the competition.
Bristol Bears Lineup vs. BordeauxStarting XV
- Ellis Genge
- Gabriel Oghre
- George Kloska
- Pedro Rubiolo
- Joe Batley
- Santiago Grondona
- Fitz Harding
- Viliame Mata
- Harry Randall
- Tom Jordan
- Kalaveti Ravouvou
- James Williams
- Benhard Janse van Rensburg
- Noah Heward
- Louis Rees-Zammit
Replacements
- 16. Harry Thacker
- 17. Max Lahiff
- 18. Jimmy Halliwell
- 19. Joe Owen
- 20. Benjamin Grondona
- 21. Kieran Marmion
- 22. Sam Worsley
- 23. Matias Moroni
Bordeaux Lineup vs. Bristol Bears
Starting XV
- Jefferson Poirot
- Maxime Lamothe
- Carlu Sadie
- Boris Palu
- Adam Coleman
- Jean-Luc du Preez
- Cameron Woki
- Temo Matiu
- Martin Page-Relo
- Matthieu Jalibert
- Louis Bielle-Biarrey
- Yoram Moefana
- Nicolas Depoortere
- Damian Penaud
- Romain Buros
Replacements
- 16. Connor Sa
- 17. Ugo Boniface
- 18. Ben Tameifuna
- 19. Cyril Cazeaux
- 20. Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer
- 21. Joey Carbery
- 22. Rohan Janse van Rensburg
- 23. Salesi Rayasi
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Friday, Jan. 16
- 3 p.m. ET – Pau vs. Vodacom Bulls (Pool 4)
- 3 p.m. ET – Bath Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby (Pool 2)
Saturday, Jan. 17
- 8 a.m. ET – Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Clermont Auvergne (Pool 1)
- 10:15 a.m. ET – Bayonne vs. Leinster (Pool 3)
- 10:15 a.m. ET – Stormers vs. Leicester Tigers (Pool 3)
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Toulouse vs. Sale Sharks (Pool 1)
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Munster Rugby vs. Castres Olympique (Pool 2)
- 3 p.m. ET – Gloucester Rugby vs. Toulon (Pool 2)
Sunday, Jan. 18
- 8 a.m. ET – Bristol Bears vs. Bordeaux-Bègles (Pool 4)
- 10:15 a.m. ET – Northampton Saints vs. Scarlets (Pool 4)
- 10:15 a.m. ET – La Rochelle vs. Harlequins (Pool 3)
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Glasgow Warriors vs. Saracens (Pool 1)
Watch FloRugby’s Round 4 Podcast Preview
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