England star and two Lions named in Montpellier squad for final

Former England No.8 Billy Vunipola will captain Montpellier in their Challenge Cup final date with destiny when they face Ulster in Bilbao tomorrow night.

The former England star who won the Investec Champions Cup three times with Saracens in 2016, 2017 and 2019 will lead out a Montpellier side who are heavy favourites after going through the group stages unbeaten.

And they have made changes to the side that beat Castres 36-33 last weekend, with Arthur Vincent returning to outside centre and Auguste Cadot, who scored two tries at the Stade Pierre-Fabre, starting at inside centre in an otherwise unchanged back line.

Enzo Forletta returns to the starting lineup at loosehead, with Baptiste Erdocio dropped down to the bench, and Vunipola, who didn’t play in Castres, takes over the captaincy from Lenni Nouchi, who moves to blindside flanker with Yacouba Camara missing out.

Scrum-half Leo Coly has given his side a boost after recovering from an injury that has sidelined him since March and is able to take his place on the bench, which will also include Wales and British & Irish Lions lock Adam Beard, who started the semi-final win over the Dragons three weeks ago.

Fixture

Challenge Cup

Montpellier

59 - 26

Full-time

Ulster

All Stats and Data

Only six players, Duguid, Nouchi, Becognée, Cadot, Taofifenua and Banks, who were part of the side that survived the 18-12 scare from the Dragons at the Septeo Stadium, have kept their places for the trip to Northern Spain.

Montpellier are bidding to win the trophy for the third time in a decade after beating Harlequins 26-19 in Lyon in 2016 and then beating another Gallagher PREM outfit, Leicester Tigers, 18-17 at Twickenham five years ago.

Montpellier XV: Tom Banks, Gabriel Ngandbee, Arthur Vincent, Auguste Cadot, Donovan Taofifenua, Domingo Miotti, Ali Price, Enzo Forletta, Jordan Uelese, Mohamed Haouas, Florian Verhaeghe, Tyler Duguid, Lenni Nouchi, Alexandre Becognee, Billy Vunipola
Replacements: Lyam Akrab, Baptiste Erdocio, Wilfred Hounkpatin, Adam Beard, Marco Tauleigne, Leo Coly, Thomas Darmon, Jon Echegaray