Bordeaux Begles vs Northampton Saints Prediction: Saints to make life tough

The top two sides in Pool 4 go head-to-head in round three of the Investec Champions Cup as Northampton Saints make the trip to France to face Bordeaux Begles on Sunday (15:15 GMT, live on Premier Sports 2) in a rematch of last season's decider.

Below are my Bordeaux Begles vs Northampton Saints predictions, alongside team news and match odds.

Bordeaux beat Saints 28-20 in Cardiff back in May, and both sides have made perfect starts in the competition this term.

The Saints took care of Section Paloise and the Bulls, while Bordeaux were successful in Pretoria before a handsome home success against Scarlets.

Bordeaux Begles vs Northampton Saints Odds

Bordeaux Begles are expected to repeat their success from the Principality Stadium in May, and they are priced at 1/5 for the win. The visiting Saints can be backed at 18/5, with the draw trading at 25/1.

On the three-way handicap, Bordeaux are 20/21 conceding a 12-point start, with Northampton priced at 5/6 and the handicap tie available at 20/1.

Team News

Hooker Maxime Lamothe skippers the home side and is joined by Jefferson Poirot and Carlu Sadie.

Matthieu Jalibert wears No.10 and forms a partnership with scrum-half Martin Page-Relo, while explosive Louis Bielle-Biarrey starts on the left wing with Damian Penaud on the opposite flank and Salesi Rayasi at full back. The hosts call on Nicolas Deportere and Yoram Moefana in the centres.

Phil Dowson makes five changes to the Northampton side that defeated Harlequins 66-21 last weekend, with Craig Wright, Trevor Davison, Henry Pollock, Rory Hutchinson and Ollie Sleightholme all coming into the starting XV in France.

Loosehead Danilo Fischetti is the only remaining face in Saints' front row, while the second is left alone.

British & Irish Lions representation sees Pollock joined by half-back pairing Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith, as well as Tommy Freeman at outside centre and Scotland's Rory Hutchinson inside. Dowson opts for a six-two bench against Bordeaux.

Northampton Saints +12 @ 5/6

This looks to be amongst the tastiest of the round three collisions, and the Anglo-French showdown should deliver for the neutrals.

Bordeaux Begles scored 62 points in last weekend's win over Racing 92 in the Top 14, adding to tallies of 46 and 50 in their opening two pool games in this competition. Their powerful attacking unit will cause Northampton problems, and they are usually reliable in their finishing.

The Saints are on a five-game winning streak of their own, adding victories over Sale Sharks, Bath and Harlequins to last month's European victories. Indeed, last weekend's Gallagher Prem success against Quins was their biggest of the season, 66-21.

The final in Cardiff ended with an eight-point success for the French side, while it was a four-point margin in their only other clash in this competition. An elusive first win may evade Saints, but they can stay in the fight.

Click the link for all the latest Rugby Union Odds