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Venue: Stade Chaban-Delmas Dates: Saturday, 16 December Kick-off: 15:15 GMT |
Coverage: Score updates and match report on BBC Sport website & app |
Boss Pat Lam has made 13 changes for Bristol’s trip to Bordeaux Begles in the Investec Champions Cup on Saturday.
Only Richard Lane, who shifts from wing to full-back, and number eight Magnus Bradbury remain from the starting XV which defeated Lyon last weekend.
Bristol snatched a dramatic 36-34 victory through an 85th-minute Callum Sheedy drop-goal.
Fly-half Sheedy drops out of the matchday squad and is replaced by 20-year-old Sam Worsley.
Fiji international Kalaveti Ravouvou makes his first start on the wing for Bristol after coming on as a replacement against Lyon.
Alongside Worsley, flanker Joe Owen will make his Champions Cup debut, with Jake Heenan captaining the side on the other flank.
Hooker Gabriel Oghre, who scored off the bench against Lyon, replaces Harry Thacker in the front row and is joined by props Max Lahiff and George Kloska.
Director of rugby Lam admitted squad rotation was forced by the busy fixture schedule.
“This weekend will be our 17th game on the trot, with six more to go until we get a break and a short, six-day turnaround into back-to-back away games at Newcastle next Friday,” he told the club website.
“Factoring in the travel to both France and the north east, the focus for us is how we manage the squad during this period to ensure they are all fresh and ready to perform.”
Their hosts on Saturday were impressive in their opening game hammering Connacht 41-5 in Galway.
France wing Damian Penaud, who scored six tries in the World Cup, is retained after scoring a first-half try against the Irish province.
His international team-mate Louis Bielle-Biarrey starts on the other wing in a strong Bordeaux side.
Bordeaux Begles: Buros; Penaud, Moefana, Tapuai, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu; Poirot (capt), Lamothe, Sadie, Petti, Jolmes, Vergnes, Diaby, Samu.
Replacements: Maynadier, Boniface, Falatea, Douglas, Gazzotti, Miquel, Nanette, Uberti.
Bristol: Lane; Heward, O’Conor, Williams, Ravouvou; Worsley, Wolstenholme; Lahiff, Oghre, Kloska, Holmes, Caulfield, Owen, Heenan (capt), Bradbury.
Replacements: Capon, Grahamslaw, Longwell, Dun, Pearce, Lennon, Jenkins, Bates.
Referee: Frank Murphy
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