With Ulster yet to win a Heineken Cup match this season and Bourgoin suffering three defeats so far this Fridays match looks likely to be a fight for pride with both teams unable to qualify for the next stage of the competition.

French side CS Bourgoin-Jallieu, currently compete in the top level of the French league system in the Top 14 as well as in the Heineken Cup.  They are based in Bourgoin-Jallieu in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, competing in Stade Pierre Rajon, which has a capacity of 9,441. In their history the club have been runners-up in the French championship, the Challenge Yves du Manoir, and have also won the Challenge Cup. Last season Bourgoin finished 6th on the Top 14 season ladder and this season are currently sitting in 8th position having won three out of their six matches so far.

The history-

16/11/07 Bourgoin 24 - 17 Ulster
14/01/00 Ulster 27 - 36 Bourgoin
20/11/99 Bourgoin 26 - 12 Ulster

Despite both sides disappointing results in the Heineken Cup this season Bourgoin's win over Ulster at home in November gave the French side their only win so far putting them ahead of the Ulstermen in the League table. Although Ulster suffered a defeat they produced one of their most encouraging performances of the entire season, leading at half time and playing the type of Rugby that had the travelling crowd on their feet- having conceded this tightly contested fixture both sides will be running out on 11th January at Ravenhill with pride to play for. 

Their Pool 2 results so far-

Ulster

14/12/07 Ospreys L 8-16
7/12/07 Ospreys L 17-48
16/11/07 Bourgoin L 17-24
9/11/07 Gloucester Rugby L 14-32 
 
Bourgoin

15/12/07 Gloucester Rugby L 27-51
7/12/07 Gloucester Rugby L 7-31
16/11/07 Ulster W 24-17
10/11/07 Ospreys L 15-22 

Coach- Pierre Raschi

The former French rugby union player spent his whole professional career playing for Bourgoin. He won the European Challenge Cup with the club in 1997 and the same year, lost the final of the French championship against Toulouse.

Captain- Julien Pierre 

The Lock joined Bourgoin in July 2003 and won his first international cap for France in 2007.

One to Watch- Benjamin Boyet

Bourgoin’s prolific Out-Half who scored 253 points in 22 matches last season.

The Rising Star- Florian Denos

Florian had a tremendous 06/07 season for Bourgoin, playing 22 matches in total. Barely 22 and having produced notably impressive performances for Bourgoin, Florian is widely regarded a strong contender for a French jersey in the coming years.