Round Four of the 2023/24 Investec Champions Cup gets underway on Friday night, with Glasgow Warriors and Connacht hosting Toulon and Bristol Bears in their respective matches.
Glasgow Warriors will field a starting XV containing 11 internationals for the club’s pivotal Investec Champions Cup showdown with Toulon at Scotstoun, with Kyle Steyn and Jack Dempsey set to make their return to action.
The pair – – have recovered from their respective injuries to line up under the Friday night lights for Franco Smith’s squad, knowing a win will be enough to secure a place in the knockout stages of Europe’s premier club competition.
An all-new front-row sees George Turner and Lucio Sordoni come into the starting XV alongside Jamie Bhatti, the loose-head having agreed to extend his contract with Glasgow Warriors earlier this week.
Max Williamson makes his first professional start for the club in the second-row, joining the experienced figure of Richie Gray in the engine room.
Dempsey’s return sees the Scotland international line up at number eight in an otherwise unchanged back-row, with Ally Miller and Matt Fagerson continuing after impressive performances at Sandy Park last weekend.
Behind the scrum, George Horne is paired with Tom Jordan in the half-backs, the latter having featured in all three of the club’s Investec Champions Cup matches to date in 2023/24.
Sione Tuipulotu shifts to inside centre for the first time in 2024, as he links up with Huw Jones in the midfield to resume their partnership.
Steyn returns to captain the line-up from the wing, joining Kyle Rowe and Josh McKay – both try-scorers in the Investec Champions Cup this season, against Exeter Chiefs and Bayonne, respectively – in the back-three.
An all-international trio lie in wait as the front-row cover amongst the replacements, as Oli Kebble and Zander Fagerson join the club’s top try-scorer, Johnny Matthews.
Scott Cummings and Henco Venter rotate to the bench after their all-action displays in Exeter last weekend, with Euan Ferrie retained amongst the replacements after making his first appearance of the season at Sandy Park.
The backline is covered by Ben Afshar and Stafford McDowall, the former awaiting his first European appearance after being an unused replacement at Sandy Park.
Meanwhile, Toulon head coach Pierre Mignoni has made 14 changes to his starting XV from the side that was defeated 18-29 by Munster.
The Top 14 outfit requires a win over Glasgow and needs Exeter Chiefs to beat Bayonne to progress to the last 16. However, Mignoni has still rested most of his star players for the match, with only Los Pumas international Facundo Isa retaining his place in the starting XV.
Isa starts alongside flankers Matteo le Corvec and Jules Coulon, while Adrien Warion and Swan Rebbadj make up the second-row.
Up front, captain and hooker Teddy Baubigny is flanked by props Emerick Setiano and Bruce Devaux.
Scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze and fly-half Jérémy Sinzelle start in the halfbacks, with Mathieu Smaili and Setariki Tuicuvu in the centres. Finally, the back three includes snubbed France winger Gabin Villiere as well as right-wing Gaël Drean and fullback Aymeric Luc.
The 5-3 split on the bench includes forwards Jack Singleton, Fabio Gonzalez, Beka Gigashvili, Matthias Halagahu, and Selevasio Tolofua. The backline replacements are Jules Danglot, Enzo Herve, and Maelan Rabut.
Meanwhile, Toulon head coach Pierre Mignoni has made 14 changes to his starting XV from the side that was defeated 18-29 by Munster.
The Top 14 outfit requires a win over Glasgow and needs Exeter Chiefs to beat Bayonne to progress to the last 16. However, Mignoni has still rested most of his star players for the match, with only Los Pumas international Facundo Isa retaining his place in the starting XV.
Isa starts alongside flankers Matteo le Corvec and Jules Coulon, while Adrien Warion and Swan Rebbadj make up the second-row. Up front, captain and hooker Teddy Baubigny is flanked by props Emerick Setiano and Bruce Devaux.
Scrum-half Vasil Lobzhanidze and fly-half Jérémy Sinzelle start in the halfbacks, with Mathieu Smaili and Setariki Tuicuvu in the centres.
Finally, the back three includes snubbed France winger Gabin Villiere as well as right-wing Gaël Drean and full-back Aymeric Luc.
The five-three split on the bench includes forwards Jack Singleton, Fabio Gonzalez, Beka Gigashvili, Matthias Halagahu, and Selevasio Tolofua. The backline replacements are Jules Danglot, Enzo Herve, and Maelan Rabut.
: 15 Josh McKay, 14 Kyle Steyn (c), 13 Huw Jones, 12 Sione Tuipulotu, 11 Kyle Rowe, 10 Tom Jordan, 9 George Horne, 8 Jack Dempsey, 7 Matt Fagerson, 6 Ally Miller, 5 Richie Gray, 4 Max Williamson, 3 Lucio Sordoni, 2 George Turner, 1 Jamie Bhatti
Replacement: 16 Johnny Matthews, 17 Oli Kebble, 18 Zander Fagerson, 19 Scott Cummings, 20 Euan Ferrie, 21 Henco Venter, 22 Ben Afshar, 23 Stafford McDowall
Toulon: 15 Aymeric Luc, 14 Gaël Drean, 13 Setariki Tuicuvu, 12 Mathieu Smaili, 11 Gabin Villiere, 10 Jérémy Sinzelle, 9 Vaso Lobzhanidze, 8 Facundo Isa, 7 Matteo le Corvec, 6 Jules Coulon, 5 Adrien Warion, 4 Swan Rebbadj, 3 Emerick Setiano, 2 Teddy Baubigny (c), 1 Bruce Devaux
Replacements: 16 Jack Singleton, 17 Fabio Gonzalez, 18 Beka Gigashvili, 19 Matthias Halagahu, 20 Selevasio Tolofua, 21 Jules Danglot, 22 Enzo Herve, 23 Maelan Rabut
Venue: Scotstoun
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Assistant Referees: Andrew Jackson (England), Gareth Holsgrove (England)
TMO: Ian Tempest (England)
Connacht have been boosted by the return of Tiernan O’Halloran for Friday’s Investec Champions Cup tie against Bristol Bears.
The experienced full-back has been absent since early December due to a foot injury, and his inclusion is one of eight changes from the side that started the game against Lyon last week.
There’s a new centre partnership of Bundee Aki and David Hawkshaw, while the wingers of Shayne Bolton and Andrew Smith are retained. JJ Hanrahan returns to out-half while Caolin Blade captains the side from scrum-half.
In the pack, there’s a return for props Denis Buckley and Finlay Bealham while Tadgh McElroy keeps his place at hooker. Niall Murray replaces his brother to start alongside former Bristol player Joe Joyce in the second-row, and Shamus Hurley-Langton comes in at openside flanker alongside Cian Prendergast and number eight Jarrad Butler.
Meanwhile, Fitz Harding returns from injury for Bristol Bears for this important Investec Champions Cup showdown.
The 24-year-old skipper lines up at openside for the Pool A fixture in Galway, as Pat Lam makes five changes from last weekend, with Jake Woolmore and Kyle Sinckler returning in the front-row.
Harry Randall starts at scrum-half and will make his 10th Champions Cup appearance for the club – joining Darren Crompton as the club’s joint highest capped player in the competition.
In the backline, Virimi Vakatawa (outside centre) and Kalaveti Ravouvou (right wing) come into the starting XV, with Benhard Janse van Rensburg shifting to inside centre.
The teams
: 15 Tiernan O’Halloran, 14 Andrew Smith, 13 David Hawkshaw, 12 Bundee Aki, 11 Shayne Bolton, 10 JJ Hanrahan, 9 Caolin Blade, 8 Jarrad Butler, 7 Shamus Hurley-Langton, 6 Cian Prendergast, 5 Joe Joyce, 4 Niall Murray, 3 Finlay Bealham, 2 Tadgh McElroy, 1 Denis Buckley
Replacements: 16 Dave Heffernan, 17 Peter Dooley, 18 Jack Aungier, 19 Oisín Dowling, 20 Conor Oliver, 21 Michael McDonald, 22 Jack Carty, 23 Oran McNulty
: 15 Max Malins, 14 Kalaveti Ravouvou, 13 Virimi Vakatawa, 12 Benhard Janse van Rensburg, 11 Gabriel Ibitoye, 10 AJ MacGinty, 9 Harry Randall, 8 Magnus Bradbury, 7 Fitz Harding (c), 6 Steven Luatua, 5 Joe Batley, 4 Josh Caulfield, 3 Kyle Sinckler, 2 Gabriel Oghre, 1 Jake Woolmore
Replacements: 16 Will Capon, 17 Sam Grahamslaw, 18 Max Lahiff, 19 Joe Owen, 20 Dan Thomas, 21 Kieran Marmion, 22 James Williams, 23 Piers O’Conor
Venue: The Sportsground
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT
Referee: Pierre Brousset (France)
Assistant Referees: Pierre-Baptiste Nuchy (France), Kevin Bralley (France)
TMO: Denis Grenouillet (France)
