Bristol vs Pau Predictions - Bristol to pocket the points with a win over Pau

Brad Newcomb

Editor

Last updated: 56 minutes ago

Brad Newcomb 56 minutes ago

Share this article

Bristol have won 5 of last 6 home games.
Pau are inconsistent away, winning 2 of 5.
Bristol favored to cover -20.5 handicap.

Bristol have never lost to Pau (Getty Images)

Bristol secured a narrow win in their opening European Rugby Champions Cup fixture, and they have been in solid form at home. Pau fell short in their opening pool game, and they have struggled for consistency when playing away from home.

Bristol have won 2 of their last 5 games in all competitions.
Bristol have won 5 of their last 6 home fixtures in all competitions.
Bristol have defeated Pau twice in a row.
Pau have won 3 of their last 5 fixtures in all competitions.
Pau have won 2 of their last 5 away games (Top 14).

Head to Head

Bristol have the advantage with two victories to none against Pau.

Bristol Form

Bristol scored two tries and a conversion in the first half against the Scarlets last weekend to take a slender two-point advantage into half-time.

Bristol crossed the try line once in the second half, which was enough to record a narrow 17-16 away victory over the Scarlets in their opening Investec Cup match.

Bristol defeated the Harlequins 52-26, the Leicester Tigers 42-24, Exeter 18-14, and lost 49-19 to Bath before beating the Northampton Saints 46-12 in their last five home fixtures.

The Bristol Bears are currently 6th in the Premiership table with 19 points from six games.

Bristol will fancy their chances to record back-to-back victories in the competition, as they have recorded four victories in their last five home games, and have defeated Pau twice in a row.

Pau Form

Pau scored two converted tries in the first half against the Northampton Saints in their opening European Rugby Champions Cup match last weekend to lead 14-12 at the break.

Pau added two penalties and a converted try to their points tally in the second half, but it was not enough to defeat Northampton at home, losing 35-27.

Pau are in fair form in their last five fixtures away from home. They defeated Castres 17-15, lost 50-27 to Clermont, 33-17 to Toulon, and 15-10 to Racing 92 before beating Bordeaux 34-33.

Pau currently occupy 2nd place in the Top 14 standings with 37 points from 11 games.

Pau have had a solid season so far, but they have not been as prolific away from home, winning two of their last five matches, and they have yet to beat Bristol in a competitive match.

Team News

Bristol

Head coach Pat Lam is expecting his team to have a tough encounter with Pau. He said: “They are certainly one of the form teams. You just look at the teams they have beaten in France, and we are under no illusion how hard this will be.”

Bill Mata is out with a muscle strain sustained during the match against the Scarlets.

Pau

Grégoire Arfeuil scored a brace against the Northampton Saints last weekend, while Facundo Isa contributed one try.

Axel Desperes slotted three conversions in the match.

Verdict

Bristol v Pau

Bristol have been performing well at home and are tipped to cover the -20.5 handicap in their European Rugby Champions Cup encounter with Pau.

Bristol -20.5

Handicap

$1.91 - 3 Units

Deposit R3,000 Get R3,000

100% bonus up to R3,000

Your first deposit at 10bet should be of at least R20. Get 100% up to R3,000 Bonus to bet on sports or games. New customers only. 18+ T&Cs and wagering requirements apply. To activate the bonus, select it from the cashier.

Bet at 10bet