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| Venue: The Sportsground Date: Friday, 19 January Kick-off: 20:00 GMT |
| Coverage: Listen live on BBC Radio Bristol, BBC Sounds, BBC Sport website and app from 12:30 GMT, with live text updates, report & reaction also available on the BBC Sport website & app |
Connacht make seven changes and Bristol Bears make five as the two sides meet in their final pool game in the Investec Champions Cup in Galway.
Denis Buckley, Finlay Bealham, Niall Murray and Shamus Hurley-Langton return in the forwards, while Tiernan O’Halloran, Bundee Aki and David Hawkshaw are named in the backs.
For the visitors, captain Fitz Harding returns from injury, with Jake Woolmore and Kyle Sinckler back in the front row, Virimi Vakatawa at centre and Kalaveti Ravouvou on the wing.
The tie marks a return for Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam to a ground where he coached for four years before moving to Ashton Gate.
Bristol need to claim a bonus-point victory over the Irish province and better Saracens’ score to ensure their qualification, while Connacht will need to take all five points on offer and then hope Lyon win at Saracens without the Premiership side gaining a losing bonus.
Line-ups
Connacht: O’Halloran; Smith, Hawkshaw, Aki, Bolton; Hanrahan, Blade (c); Buckley, McElroy, Bealham, Murray, Joyce, Prendergast, Hurley-Langton, Butler.
Replacements: Heffernan, Dooley, Aungier, Dowling, Oliver, McDonald, Carty, McNulty.
Bristol Bears: Malins; Ravouvou, Vakatawa, Janse van Rensburg, Ibitoye; MacGinty, Randal; Woolmore, Oghre, Sinckler, Caulfield, Batley, Luatua, Harding (c), Bradbury.
Replacements: Capon, Grahamslaw, Lahiff, Owen, Thomas, Marmion, Williams, O’Conor.
Referee: Pierre Brousset (FRA).
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