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Bayonne vs Cheetahs Predictions - Bayonne to secure a comfortable home win in Challenge Cup Pool 1 opener

Nigel Williams

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Last updated: 46 minutes ago

Nigel Williams 46 minutes ago

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Bayonne are favoured to win at home against the Cheetahs and cover the -12.5 handicap.
Bayonne have won three of their last five home matches, while the Cheetahs have lost three of their last five away.
This is the first meeting between Bayonne and the Cheetahs in European competition.

Bayonne to secure a comfortable home win in Challenge Cup Pool 1 opener (Getty Images)

Bayonne vs Cheetahs Predictions

Bayonne are favourites, due to their strong domestic form and home advantage at Stade Jean-Dauger in France. The Cheetahs come into the European opener after being eliminated in the semi-finals of the Currie Cup earlier in the season and face a tough challenge adjusting to away conditions in France. My best bet is Bayonne to cover the -12.5 handicap at home.

Bayonne vs Cheetahs Predictions
Head to Head
Bayonne Form
Bayonne Injuries & Team News
Cheetahs Form
Cheetahs Injuries & Team News

Bayonne come into this match on the back of a 45-34 home defeat to Toulouse.
Bayonne have won 3 of their last 5 home matches in all competitions.
Bayonne will be meeting the Cheetahs for the first time.
Cheetahs have lost 3 of their last 5 away matches.
Cheetahs enter this match after losing 52-26 away to the Pumas.

Head to Head

Bayonne will be meeting the Cheetahs for the first time.

Bayonne Form

Bayonne had a difficult pool-stage campaign in the 2025/26 Champions Cup, losing their four matches and finishing bottom of Pool 3.

Bayonne lost 45-34 to Toulouse in their previous home match, primarily due to Antoine Dupont's masterclass and Toulouse's dominance from driving mauls. Despite an impressive, resilient attacking effort from Bayonne, they could not contain Toulouse's late-game surge.

Bayonne have had a good run of form at home, winning three of their last five home matches in all competitions. Their previous home results include a loss against Leinster (22-13), followed by wins against Toulon (27-26), Clermont (46-24), Stade Francais (35-32), and a loss against Toulouse (45-34).

Bayonne Injuries & Team News

Starting XV: 1 Ignacio Calles, 2 Facundo Bosch, 3 Luke Tagi, 4 Manus van Leeuwen, 5 Brian Alainu'uese, 6 Mahno Dealle Facquez Luts, 7 Baptiste Heguy, 8 Giovanni Habel-Kueffner, 9 Baptiste Tilloles, 10 Robert du Preez, 11 Viliame Tutuvuli, 12 Federico Mori, 13 Guillaume Martocq, 14 Madosh Tambwe, 15 Yohan Orabe.

Replacements: 16 Lucas Martin, 17 Swan Cormenier, 18 Lasha Macharashvili, 19 Lucas Paulos, 20 Hugo Leclerq, 21 Herschel Jantjies, 22 Bastien Rasal, 23 Tom Spring.

Cheetahs Form

The Cheetahs endured a difficult pool-stage campaign in the 2025/26 EPCR Challenge Cup, losing their four matches in their group.

The Cheetahs lost 52-26 to the Pumas in their last away match. The Pumas played at a frantic, physical pace from the opening whistle, outscoring the Cheetahs eight tries to four, to comfortably secure their Currie Cup semi-final spot.

Cheetahs have had a mixed run of form on the road, losing three of their last five away matches in all competitions. Their previous away results include losses against Racing 92 (42-12) and Griquas (24-21), followed by wins against StormersXXIII (31-26), the Blue Bulls (62-52), and a loss against the Pumas (52-26).

Cheetahs Injuries & Team News

Starting XV: 1 Matome Manyama, 2 Louis van der Westhuizen, 3 Frankie dos Reis, 4 Carl Wegner, 5 Victor Sekekete, 6 Neels Volschenk, 7 Simon Miller, 8 Carl Els, 9 Faf de Klerk, 10 Tiaan Swanepoel, 11 Prince Nkabinde, 12 Zander du Plessis, 13 Carel-Jan Coetzee, 14 Michael Annies, 15 Henry Immelman.

Replacements: 16 Jaundre Schoeman, 17 Tebogo Nkosi, 18 Ben Pitout, 19 Aidon Davis, 20 Siya Ningiza, 21 Erich Visser, 22 Cohen Jasper, 23 Marco Jansen van Vuren.

Verdict

Bayonne v Cheetahs

Bayonne are favourites, due to their strong domestic form and home advantage at Stade Jean-Dauger.

Bayonne -12.5

Handicap

@1,90 - 1 Unit

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Nigel combines a love of business and sport as one of the leading experts on South African sport.

Since a young age, he played football, cricket, golf, tennis and squash, and is an avid Arsenal supporter.

His initial foray into the business world was in the financial industry, completing various diploma’s including financial and investment management and credit management, and held various positions in banking.

He subsequently worked on the Leadership media publication and the Global Africa Network Media Trade and Investment platforms, before switching to sport.