Louis Bielle-Biarrey back in training with Bordeaux ahead of Munster showdown

The standout Six Nation player was rested for the victory over Ulster last time out.

STAR MAN: Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who was voted 2025 Guinness Men’s Six Nations Player of the Championship. Pic: INPHO/Laszlo Geczo

Six Nations player-of-the-tournament Louis Bielle-Biarrey was back at training with his Bordeaux team-mates ahead of Saturday’s Champions Cup quarter-final against Munster, after being rested for last weekend’s round-of-16 win over Ulster.

The prolific 21-year-old, who has scored 26 tries in 22 outings across all competitions this season is expected to return to the starting line-up on the opposite wing to Damian Penaud, who is chasing the solo score he needs to set a new record for touchdowns in a single tournament.

Rising backrow star Marko Gazzotti – a year Bielle-Biarrey’s junior – is also in line for a recall after a week’s holiday, while fellow flanker Temo Matiu, hooker Connor Sa, and prop Ugo Boniface have all returned from injury.

But concerns remain over veteran prop Jefferson Poirot, first-choice hooker Maxime Lamothe and fullback Romain Buros, who all picked up knocks in the win over Ulster and were absent from training at the start of the week. All three are expected to face late fitness tests before the 23 for Munster is named.

Meanwhile, second row Jonny Gray, Carlü Sadie, Tevita Tatafu, Lachlan Swinton, Nicolas Depoortere – whose absence at outside centre has forced a positional rejig, with Yoram Moefana switching out one place from 12 – and Arthur Retière are all out of the reckoning because of injuries.