One week removed from a transcendent experience that had fans packed into a time machine and teleported to the mid 2000s, Munster Rugby travels to France once again for gargantuan Investec Champions Cup knockout fixture.

On the schedule this week is a date with one of rugby’s true Galacticos in Top 14, dazzler Union Bordeaux-Begles.

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This season’s regular-season table toppers will be itching to right the wrongs of last season, when they let slip a golden opportunity to progress to the semifinals. 

Hosting Harlequins in what resembled more of an NBA fixture, Bordeaux slipped up 42-41, before getting crushed in the Top 14 final by Toulouse.

Now entering a place where a title this season is non-negotiable, Bordeaux will be all too aware of the threats their Irish visitors pose.

Team News

Munster has made two changes to the side that defeated La Rochelle in last weekend’s Round of 16 clash.

Tadhg Beirne continues in his role of captain a week after completing the turnover that sealed the win for his side.

Josh Wycherley replaces the injured Jeremy Loughman at loosehead, while Alex Nankivell returns after a successful appeal against his two-match ban to replace Sean O’Brien at inside center.

A major milestone awaits Stephen Archer, who is named among the replacements and set to make his 300th Munster appearance, nearly 16 years after his debut in 2009.

The back three of Thaakir Abrahams, Calvin Nash and Andrew Smith remains unchanged, with Nankivell partnering Tom Farrell making his 21st consecutive start in midfield.

Craig Casey and Jack Crowley, fresh off a two-year contract extension, continue at halfback.

Wycherley joins Diarmuid Barron and Oli Jager in the front row, with Jean Kleyn and Beirne locking down the second row. Peter O’Mahony, John Hodnett and Gavin Coombes complete the pack.

The bench includes Niall Scannell, Mark Donnelly, Archer, Fineen Wycherley, Tom Ahern, Alex Kendellen, Conor Murray and Seán O’Brien. Donnelly is poised for his first Champions Cup appearance since 2021, following strong club form with Cork Constitution.

Headlining the changes for the hosts, who opted to rest several key players against Ulster last weekend, is Six Nations player of the tournament Louis Bielle-BIarrey.

Slotting back onto the left wing, the gifted finisher forms a lethal back three alongside Damian Penaud and Jon Echegaray.

In the centers, South African Rohan Janse van Rensburg replaces former Wallaby Ben Tapuai in the No. 12 shirt to partner Yoram Moefana.

Reverting back to their preferred halfback partnership, Matthieu Jalibert slots in alongside Maxime Lucu, with former Munster fly-half Joey Carbery dropping out of the matchday 23.

In the pack, Argentinean star Guido Petti continues in the back row alongside Mahamadou Diaby and Pete Samu.

Powering through the engine room, Tongan international Adam Coleman is partnered with Cyril Cazeaux. 

Completing the pack are the formidable trio of Ben Tameifuna, Maxime Lamothe and Jefferson Poirot.

Key Matchup

Littered with quality across the park, both sides have threats everywhere, ensuring that there will be several key individual battles.

Front and center of this matchup will be two world-class fly-halves who have endured mixed runs at international level of late, Matthieu Jalibert and Jack Crowley.

Staking claim to back-to-back man-of-the-match awards, Crowley has been in red-hot form since returning from the Irish international setup. Nailing a key drop goal that proved to be the difference last week, the ice-cold operator is a true match-winner.

Facing Crowley is a mercurial talent in Jalibert, who is capable of the brilliant and the bizarre in equal measures. When he is on and in form, there is a real argument for him being the best playmaker in the game. When he is off, an implosion is never too far away.

Both players possess strong running games, with Jalbiert making 39 carries and three line breaks, 12 defenders beaten,184 meters made and a try. 

Crowley’s stat line also is impressive with 31 carries, four line breaks, seven defenders beaten and 144 meters made.

Where the two players vary greatly is in their touches of the ball, with Crowley getting on the ball 207 (five matches) times to Jaliberts 129 (four matches). This works out at the Munster playmaker getting on the ball on average nine times more per match.

The biggest separator between the two sides, however, comes on the other side of the ball, where the Munster star is significantly ahead of his opposite number.

Completing 79% of his tackles (42 made) to Jalbiert’s 62% (21 made), the Irishman no doubt will direct his powerhouse carriers down Jalbiert’s channel.

So, what exactly does all of this mean?

Well, in short, Munster cannot afford to allow Jalbiert any time or space. Kicking loosely, not getting in the passing channels and allowing Bordeaux to get quick ruck ball will ensure a long day at the office.

On the flipside, Bordeaux will know that if they let Crowley get his hands on the ball, he will find gaps for those around him. 

Defensively, while every team goes after the fly-half, sides are quickly learning that they will get little to no joy out of Crowley. This could force Bordeaux to go aerial more often than we have grown accustomed to seeing.

Partnering both players are top-notch scrumhalves, with Munster’s Craig Casey quickly closing the gap on Leinster star Jamison Gibson-Park for the Irish No. 9 shirt. 

For Bordeaux’s Maxime Lucu, an injury to Antoine Dupont ensured that he was the first choice to close out the Six Nations. When fit, Dupont will be the first choice for years to come, but for Lucu, a strong run is key to holding off fellow contenders, such as Nolann Le Gerrac and Baptiste Serin for the backup role.

Prediction 

An argument could be made that this writer is wrapped up in the nostalgia and romance of a Munster run to the semifinal. Yet, when you look at the plain facts, it is not as far-fetched as many believe.

Showing fallibilities in the last-16 clash against an Ulster side that is a rung or two below Munster at the present moment, Bordeaux laid out a map for Munster to follow in terms of disrupting the flow.

As touched upon above, the battle of the breakdown will be crucial, and in this department, few sides are better than Munster and, in particular, Tadhg Beirne. By stunting Bordeaux’s ability to dictate terms, Munster will be able to set defensively and close out the prospect of Bordeaux’s danger men out wide.

Conversely, the argument for Bordeaux's more straightforward path to victory is undeniable.

If the fixture opens up, and Munster is a notch down from the intensity of a week ago, Bordeaux’s ability to strike from anywhere on the pitch will come to the fore.

Needing little to no space to operate in, Bordeaux wing pairing of Penaud and Bielle-Biarrey could flip this contest at a moment's notice, making Munster’s gameplan to keep them out of the fixture non-negotiable.

We are sticking with gut feel and the sneaking suspicion that Munster is on a run similar to the one the team enjoyed two seasons ago en route to the URC title. We are backing the underdogs - Munster by 6.

Rosters

Bordeaux-Begles

15 Jon Echegaray, 14 Damian Penaud, 13 Yoram Moefana, 12 Rohan Janse van Rensburg, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Lucu (c), 8 Pete Samu, 7 Guido Petti, 6 Mahamadou Diaby, 5 Cyril Cazeaux, 4 Adam Coleman, 3 Ben Tameifuna, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot

Replacements: 16 Connor Sa, 17 Matis Perchaud, 18 Sipili Falatea, 19 Pierre Bochaton, 20 Marko Gazzotti, 21 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 22 Yann Lesgourgues, 23 Pablo Uberti

Munster

15 Thaakir Abrahams, 14 Calvin Nash, 13 Tom Farrell, 12 Alex Nankivell, 11 Andrew Smith, 10 Jack Crowley, 9 Craig Casey, 8 Gavin Coombes, 7 John Hodnett, 6 Peter O’Mahony, 5 Tadhg Beirne (c), 4 Jean Kleyn, 3 Oli Jager, 2 Diarmuid Barron, 1 Josh Wycherley

Replacements: 16 Niall Scannell, 17 Mark Donnelly, 18 Stephen Archer, 19 Fineen Wycherley, 20 Tom Ahern, 21 Conor Murray, 22 Seán O’Brien, 23 Alex Kendellen

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