Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux Begles
11th December 1730hrs
Rugby – England – Heineken Cup
Pick Bordeaux to win
Bookmaker Coral
Odds: 8/11 odds taken 16:12 GMT, Friday 10th December
Northampton will get their Champions Cup campaign off to a start with a home game on Friday.
They will be welcoming Bordeaux to Franklin’s Gardens, but the worry for the Ssaints is their lack of home form.
On top of that, they are meeting one to the top-ranked teams in the competition to kick things off with as well.
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Northampton Saints Preview – Can Saints pick up a huge positive?
Northampton did make the knockout stages of last seasons’ Champions Cup, but they are going to have a real battle on their hands this season.
This is going to be the first time that Northampton and Bordeaux have met in the tournament.
They have met before, going up against each other in the 1997/98 Challenge Cup. The two teams traded home wins in that one.
There has not been a lot of form from the Saints this season as they have already lost their opening three Premiership games.
They have lost against Sale, Harlequins and Bristol so far in their domestic campaign.
So they are not up and running at all at the moment and they are going into this home fixture as the 6/5 underdogs* (odds taken 16:12 GMT, Friday 10th December).
In last season’s Champions Cup Northampton took on quite a running-approach to their games.
They kicked out of hand less than any other team in the pool stages.
The Saints finished only behind Leinster in their Pool stage (W4 L2) and were then knocked out in the quarter-finals by eventual winners Exeter.
It’s just the lack of defensive strength and overall form that really throws a big question mark on the chances of Nrohteampton on Friday.
For rugby betting in the handicap market, a Northampton Saints +2 is at 10/11* (odds taken 16:12 GMT, Friday 10th December).
The big thing here is the massive winless streak of form that the Northampton Saints are on.
It’s been eleven on the spin without success from them in all competitions.
In two of their three games played this season they have given up at least 30 points.
Bordeaux Begles Preview – French can raid Franklin’s Gardens
So Bordeaux do look a threat in this one as they come back into the Champions Cup following their Challenge Cup participation last season.
The only times that they have visited England for the tournament happened against Exeter in the 2015/16 and the 2016/17 seasons.
It was a W1 L1 record that they took from those two visits to Sandy Park.
The French side are three games into their new domestic season in the Top 14 and they have been having their struggles there too.
It is a W1 L2 record that Bordeaux have taken so far in the league.
They are the 8/11 odds-on favourites for the win on Friday night on their trip to England however.
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Bordeaux Begles have averaged just under 20 points per game this season while they have conceded at an average of 25 per game.
That’s in the Top 14 only of course.
In last season’s European Challenge Cup Bordeaux reached the semi-finals where they were limited by the Bristol Bears at Ashton Gate after extra time.
They looked pretty spirited in that one and back in the pool stage had accounted for Edinburgh, Wasps and Agen.
Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux Begles Betting Advice
We are actually going to go with the away win in this one as we just think that Bordeaux may have that extra step in confidence.
The away win is at 8/11* (odds taken 16:12 GMT, Friday 10th December).
Bordeaux did beat Wasps in both pool stage meetings last season, including a 27-0 victory at the Ricoh Arena.
Then they gave Bristol a real run for their money in the semi-finals.
Key Facts – Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux Begles Betting Tip
- Northampton Saints are winless in 11 games in all competitions
- Northampton Saints reached the Champions Cup quarter-finals in the last campaign
- Bordeaux Begles reached the semi’s of the Challenge Cup last season
We can’t ignore the fact that Northampton are just on a long winless streak of form across all competitions.
With one major misfire happening at Franklin’s Gardens already this season, in conceding 49 points to Harlequins, we can’t get there for the home team.
A Bordeaux 1-10 winning margin looks a good option at 12/5* (odds taken 16:12 GMT, Friday 10th December).
The best betting odds for Northampton Saints vs Bordeaux Begles
Northampton Saints to win: 6/5 at Bet365
Draw: 20/1 at Bet365
Bordeaux Begles to win: 8/11 at Bet365
