Adam Williams presents his prediction for the European Rugby Champions Cup match.
The new season of the Champions Cup kicks off with a Friday night match at the Recreation Ground between the English runners-up Bath Rugby and two-time Champions Cup winners in recent history, Stade Rochelais.
Bath Rugby
The club are leading the Premiership after seven rounds but only on goal difference. While a seven-match winning streak is impressive, it's worth noting that this includes three Premiership Cup fixtures. Although these may seem less significant, Bath managed to score over 70 points in two of them, indicating they never ease up.
Stade Rochelais
Last season, Stade Rochelais reached the quarter-finals of the Champions Cup, finishing fifth in the national championship's regular season. This Top 14 season seems set to follow a similar trajectory. Currently, after 11 rounds, they sit sixth and realistically can only push for third place, but that still doesn't guarantee a direct path to the semi-finals. Everything seemed to be going well for Stade Rochelais, but two consecutive defeats have tarnished the picture. While the away loss to direct rivals Castres Olympique (24:28) is somewhat understandable, the home upset against bottom-tier Vannes (14:23) is not.
Bath Rugby vs Stade Rochelais Prediction
Considering the clubs' recent matches and Bath's home advantage, where they rarely lose (only 2 losses in the last 10 home matches), Bath are expected to secure the victory.
