Amlin Challenge Cup round 1: preview and predictions

Bordeaux-Begles v London Irish
Guy Armitage and Chris Hala’ufia will both start their first matches’ of the season as London Irish begin their Amlin Challenge Cup campaign tomorrow against Bordeaux-Begles at Stade Andre Moga.
Hala’ufia will join Ofisa Treviranus and Jamie Gibson in the back row with Armitage forming a centre combination with England International, Jonathan Joseph.
As a result, Sailosi Tagicakibau moves out to wing to replace the in-form Marlan Yarde on the wing.
Bryn Evans will captain the side from the second row while David Paice carries on at hooker after two good displays since his return from suspension.
Bordeaux-Begles: Domvo; Vasuinubu, Brousse, Denetre, Brana; Munro, Seron; Forbes, Rofes, Poirot; Navickas, Tisseau; Gibouin, Kitshoff, Koyamaibole.
Replacements: Fort; Labbe, Boutemane, Chauveau, Sanchez, Damien Larrieu.
London Irish: Shingler; Ojo, Joseph, Armitage, Tagicakibau; Humphreys, O’Leary; Lahiff, Paice, Aulika; Evans (capt.), Garvey; Treviranus, Gibson, Hala’ufia.
Replacements: Blaney, Palframan, Griffiths, Low, Danaher, Gray, Watson, Moates.
Prediction: Bordeaux have cause a few upset at home but they’ve left some player on the bench and Irish seem to have finally found the solution. With pretty much their best team, they should enjoy a second success in as many weeks.
Bucharest v Bath 
Bath call in 19-year-old academy fly-half Ollie Devoto to make his first Amlin Challenge Cup start against Bucharest Wolves.
Francois Louw is on the bench after returning from international duty with for South Africa.
Sam Vesty moves from centre to full back and flyer Tom Biggs continues on the wing.
Scrum-half Mark McMillan, No.8 Will Skuse, centre Ben Williams, second row Will Spencer and prop Anthony Perenise also make their first European starts.
Bath: Vesty; Woodburn, Cuthbert, Williams, Biggs; Devoto, McMillan; Catt, Batty, Perenise; Spencer, Attwood; Skirving (capt), Mercer, Skuse.
Replacements: Sharman, Beech, Palma-Newport, Day, Louw, Cook, Eastmond.
Bucharest: tba
Replacements: tba
Prediction: Gary Gold made some changes but you can’t bet against the West Country side.
Gernika v Worcester
Andy Short and Jake Abbott are both set to make their playing comebacks as the Worcester Warriors travel to Gernika in the North of Spain tomorrow.
Short has been out of action since fracturing his wrist in the JP Morgan Sevens but will start on the wing while Abbott, who has been recovering from a ruptured hamstring, is named on the bench and could make his 50th appearance for the club if he comes on.
Head Coach Richard Hill has rung the changes with Ben Howard starting on the opposite wing to Short and Jon Clarke moving to his more familiar place in the centre with Josh Matavesi.
Former London Irish Paul Hodgson will make his first start of the season alongside Joe Carlisle in a new-look half back pairing.
Former Ireland international Neil Best and Blair Cowan get their first start of the seasons in the back row alongside Matt Kvesic.
Gernika: Martitegi; Mazzochi, Suar, Wilson, Salas; Cusack, Mirones; Dias, Lasa, Iraizoz; Astarloa, Zabaloy; Magunazelaia, Hernandez, Amosa.
Replacements: Urrutia, Bilbao, Monje, Duran, Lopategi, Etxebarria, Olaeta, Parrado.
Worcester: Pennell; Howard, Clarke, Matavesi Short, Carlisle, Hodgson; Jones, Hayes, Currie; Jones, Gillies; Best (capt.), Kvesic, Cowan.
Replacements: Shervington, Porter, O’Donnell, Schofield, Abbott, Frost, Stelling, Grove.
Prediction: Last week’s defeat at Wasps stopped their momentum but this is the perfect game for Worcester to get going again. They’ll get the win but it will be tough for the first 20 minutes.
London Welsh v Stade Francais
Gavin Henson will make his second consecutive start for London Welsh as the Premiership minnows make their European debut against Stade Francais at the Kassam Stadium tomorrow.
The Exiles head coach Lyn Jones has rung the changes with a first appearance this season for Alex Davies, who is returning from injury, and Ashley Smith.
Ryan Davis partners James Lewis in the midfield while Nick Runciman replaces Tyson Keats at scrum half alongside Henson
Up front Arthur Joly is making his starting debut at tight-head against his former club.
Russian international Kirill Kulemin comes into the second row moving captain Jonathan Mills to blindside in place of Daniel Browne.
Felipe Contepomi returns at inside centre for the French with highly rated Jules Plisson at fly-half.
Up front, internationals Pascal Pape, David Attoub and Sergio Parise are all missing.
London Welsh: Davies; Smith, Lewis, Davis, Scott; Henson, Runciman; Montanella, George, Joly; Kulemin, Corker; Mills (capt.), Denbee, Jackson.
Replacements: Bateman, Bristow, Ion, Purdy, Williamson, Keats, Whatling, Jewell.
Stade Francais: Bonneval; Arias, Vuidarvuwalu, Contepomi, Fainifo; Plisson, Bezy; Zhvania, Bonfils, Slimani; Guillemain, Van Zyl; Burban, Tomiki, Rabadan.
Replacements: Van Vuuren, Bécasseau, Attoub, Garrault, Chollon, Rubio, Gomez Lopez, Sinzelle.
Predictions: Stade travel well and without Pape, Attout and Parise in the pack they will struggle. Montanella and Joly will want to put one past their old club and Welsh will make a winning debut on the European stage.
Wasps v Dragons
Ashley Johnson will start at blindside flanker for Wasps as he replaces James Haskell who picked up a knock in last week’s win over Worcester.
Therefore, Joe Launchbury moves to lock to accommodate Johnson replacing Tom Palmer, who also picked up an injury last week, on the way.
There are four other changes in the starting XV with Fabio Staibano, Nick Robinson, Lee Thomas and Jack Wallace who come in for Simon McIntyre, Stephen Jones, Andrea Masi and Christian Wade respectively.
For the Dragons, Ashley Smith will make his 100th start for the region as they return to Adams Park with good memories of last year’s victory In the LV cup.
Hallam Amos, Ieuan Jones and Jack Dixon have all been named in the squad for the Dragons, alongside them lock Rob Sidoli is returning and has been named in the starting side.
Wasps: Southwell (capt.); Wallace, Bell, Thomas, Varndell; Robinson, Simpson; Taulafo, Lindsay, Staibano; Launchbury, Wentzel; Johnson, Poff, Vunipola.
Replacements: Thomas, Swainston, Thiede, Cannon, Sa. Jones, Davies, St. Jones, Daly.
Dragons: Evans; Harries, Hughes, Smith, Amos; Robling, Davies; Coundley, Parry, Buck; Groves, Sidoli; Brown, Evans (capt.), Faletau.
Replacements: Gustafson, Price, Way, Nimmo, Jones, Evans, Dixon, Prydie.
Prediction: This is a tough one to call but I’m going for a home win, the pack will be confident after last week’s performance and it will be enough to stop the Dragons.