Toulouse host Bristol Bears on Saturday at Stade Ernest-Wallon in the last 16 of the 2025/26 Investec Champions Cup.
Bristol Bears embrace the underdog label as they face the toughest day in European rugby on Saturday, as Pat Lam’s side travel to the Stade Ernest-Wallon to meet six-time Champions Cup winners Toulouse in the last 16.
An injury to Fijian international number eight Bill Mata last week, who was ruled out for the season with an ACL injury, has also weakened the English team, while Argentina star Pedro Rubiolo and Joe Batley – two of the team’s keys – have also been ruled out.
The Bears go into the knockout stage on the back of two defeats in the Gallagher PREM, losing 18-14 to Harlequins last week, going down 33-19 away to Leicester Tigers last week, dropping Bristol to fifth in the league table.
Toulouse are the runaway leaders of the French Top 14 this season and come into the game after a 45-29 home win over Montpellier, although they lost 44-20 away to Bordeaux Begles last week in commemoration there are chinks in their shining armour.
Speaking ahead of the game, Bristol rugby director Pat Lam said: “This is the biggest competition in the Northern Hemisphere. That’s why you want to be in it. And if you’re in it, you’ve got to bounce back to win it. That was our attitude in the pool stages.
“You know, you put in the hard work last year to qualify and then you get there, and we’re still as strong as we can be with the injured guys to try and win this game.
“But we have a lot of problems, and in the history of Bristol we have never played Toulouse, and when you think about who Toulouse are, what they have done and the team they are, it is a big opportunity for us to go and play.
“We’ll find out where we stand against them, even if not at full strength.”
Stade Toulouse: 15. Thomas Ramos, 14. Teddy Thomas, 13. Kalvin Gourgues, 12. Pierre-Louis Barassi, 11. Matthis Lebel, 10. Romain Ntamack, 9. Antoine Dupont (c), 1. David Ainu’u, 2. Peato Mauvaka, 3. Flabaud 5 Emmanuel Thigheri. Meafou, 6. François Cros, 7. Jack Willis, 8. Anthony Jelonch
The rest: 16. Thomas Lacombre, 17. Paul Mallez, 18. Joel Merkler, 19. Joshua Brennan, 20. Leo Banos, 21. Paul Graou, 22. Santiago Chocobares, 23. Blair Kinghorn
Bristol Bears: 15. Louis Rees-Zammit (12 apps), 14, Kalaveti Ravouvou (49 apps), 13. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (67 apps), 12. James Williams (70 apps), 11. Gabriel Ibitoye (68 apps), 10. Tom Jordan (14 Ra apps), 9. 1. Ellis Genge (72 apps), 2. Gabriel Oghre (60 apps), 3. George Kloska (79 apps), 4. James Dun (63 apps), 5. Joe Owen (58 apps), 6. Steven Luatua (159 apps), 7. Fitz Harding (c) (115 apps), 8. Benjamin Grondona apps).
The rest: 16. Harry Thacker (152 apps), 17. Jake Woolmore (181 apps), 18. Max Lahiff (122 apps), 19. George Taylor (13 apps), 20. Luka Ivanishvili ( apps), 21. Kieran Marmion (69 apps), 22. Matias Moroni (9 apps) Heward 2 apps
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Ita)
Assistant advocates: Federico Vedovelli (Ita) and Alberto Favaro (Ita)
TMO: Matteo Liperini (Ita)
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