CONNACHT ARE taking a trip to France this weekend to face Pau in the next round of the EPCR Challenge Cup.
Pete Wilkins’ side entered the competition after being knocked out of the Champions Cup group-stage with one win in four games.
Meanwhile, Pau finished second in their Challenge Cup group with their only defeat coming against the Sharks.
Here’s everything you need to know about the clash:
When is the match on and at what time is kick-off?
The match will be played on Sunday April 7 with kick-off at 5:30pm.
It will be at Stade du Hameau in Pau.
What TV channel is it on and can I stream it?
The match will be shown live on Premier Sports 1.
It can be streamed using Now TV.
What are the teams?
Pau: J Maddocks; T Carol, E Roudil, J Vatubua, A Tuimaba; J Simmonds, D Robson; Z Fisi’ihoi, Y Delhommel, S Tokolahi; G Ducat, L Tagitagivalu; M Puech (c), T Hamonou, S Zegueur.
Replacements: L Rey, H Parrou, G Papidze, S Cummins, F Metz, R Hewat, T Daubagna, A Desperes.
Connacht: T O’Halloran; S Bolton, D Hawkshaw, B Aki, S Jennings; J Carty (c), C Blade; D Buckley, D Heffernan, F Bealham; J Joyce, N Murray; C Prendergast, S Hurley-Langton, J Butler.
Replacements: E de Buitléar, J Duggan, S Illo, D Murray, C Oliver, M Devine, JJ Hanrahan, T Farrell.
What are the latest betting odds?
Pau are at 11/10 to win the match, while the visitors are at 4/5.
A draw has been set at 20/1.
French Fancy
Connacht have the chance to enhance a remarkable run of results in France tomorrow afternoon.
Victory at Stade du Hameau would make it 14 French clubs that Connacht have won away to in European competition.
They became the first Irish province to win a competitive match in France when Warren Gatland’s side defeated Bordeaux-Bègles in the European Conference back in the 1996/97 season.
Connacht have enjoyed a fairly impressive run of results in France, nearly all of them in the second tier competition.
Sunday’s trip to the Pyrenees will be the 41st match they have played away to French sides — one of them, a Challenge Cup clash with Oyonnax was moved over the Swiss border to Geneva — and so far they have been victorious on 17 of those trips.
But what is fairly astonishing is that those 17 victories have come at 13 different clubs.
Montpellier, Bayonne, Bordeaux-Bègles and Brive are the only sides they have defeated twice over there.