Pau vs Pretoria Bulls Prediction: Pau to send Bulls packing

Pau will look to secure their place in the European Rugby Champions Cup round of 16 on Friday night (20:00 GMT, Premier Sports Rugby) when they welcome the Pretoria Bulls to Stade du Hameau.

Below are my Pau vs Pretoria Bulls predictions, as well as all the essential team news and match odds for the showdown in the southwest of France.

Pau go with Daniel Bibi Biziwu, Lucas Rey and Guram Papidze in the front row, with locks Hugo Auradou and Jimi Maximin in the engine room.

Luke Whitelock, Loic Credoz and Carwyn Tuipulotu complete the pack in the back row, while Dan Robson and Clement Mondinat start in the half-backs.

Quentin Valentino and Nathan Decron combine in the centres, while Pau go with a back three of Aaron Grandidier-Nkanang, Theo Attissogbe and Jack Maddocks.

The Bulls, meanwhile, have opted for a front row of Jan-Hendrik Wessels, Akker van der Merwe and Mornay Smith, with Ruan Vermaak and Reinhardt Ludwig in the second row.

Marcell Coetzee, Mpilo Gumede and Nizaam Carr start in the back row, with Zak Burger and Handre Pollard pairing up in the half-backs.

Harold Vorster and Sebastian de Klerk are the starting centre partnership, while the Bulls have gone with a back three of Kurt-Lee Arendse, Cheswill Jooste and Willie le Roux.

Pau vs Pretoria Bulls Odds

Pau are 2/9 for the win on home soil on Friday night, while the Bulls are 10/3 to head back to South Africa with the victory. A draw at the Stade du Hameau is currently 25/1.

Pau -11 handicap @ 4/5

Considering the contrasting form of these two teams and how strong Pau are at home, the hosts are backed to not only win on Friday night but cover the handicap in the process.

The Bulls have decided to ring the changes, with 11 made for this visit to the Pyrenees in a bid to make a late push to reach the Champions Cup round of 16 or to drop down to the European Challenge Cup.

Currently on a seven-game losing streak and sitting at the bottom of Pool 4 in the Champions Cup, the Bulls are in woeful form going into this match, and they face a daunting test at the Stade du Hameau.

Pau, who occupy fourth spot in the pool and hope to land an away tie in the round of 16, have managed to win nine of their last 10 home games, with only Northampton Saints earning an away victory in that time.

The bigger hitters in the Top 14, such as Toulouse, La Rochelle and Stade Francais have all left Pau empty-handed in the league this season.

With the Bulls losing seven of their last eight away games in all competitions, the South African outfit have shown they cannot be trusted to come good on the road, and Pau with the handicap gets the green light.

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