Saracens coach Mark McCall has made eight changes to his starting XV to play Bordeaux Begles in the Investec Champions Cup on Sunday.

Scrum-half Ivan van Zyl also comes into the starting XV to partner captain Owen Farrell.

Nick Isiekwe and Andy Christie start in the back row, with Juan-Martin Gonzalez moving onto the bench.

Prop Logovi’i Mulipola replaces Sam Crean, with England hooker Theo Dan moving into the starting side for Kapeli Pifeleti.

Saracens lost their opening game of the Champions Cup to South African side Bulls but recovered with a bonus-point win over Connacht.

Last weekend, McCall’s side suffered a 19-10 defeat by Leicester in the Premiership, and need a response against Bordeaux, where a win would likely secure a place in the knockout stages.

Bordeaux have had the perfect start to the competition after bonus-point victories over Connacht and Bristol Bears but face their toughest challenge against the three-time champions.

They name a starting XV littered with France internationals including wingers Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud, who have scored three tries between them in the opening two rounds.

Half-back pairing Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert maintain their partnership, and with Antoine Dupont’s missing the Six Nations, they are likely to be France’s starting half-back combination next month.

Saracens host Lyon in their final pool game on 20 January, with Bordeaux traveling to South Africa to face Bulls.

Line-ups

Bordeaux: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu (capt); Poirot, Lamothe, Tameifuna, Petti, Coleman, Bochaton, Gazzotti, Samu.

Replacements: Latterrade, Boniface, Sadie, Douglas, Diaby, Miquel, Abadie, Uberti.

Saracens: Goode; Lewington, Daly, Tompkins, Maitland, Farrell (capt), Van Zyl; Mulipola, Dan, Judge, Itoje, Tizard, Isiekwe, Christie, Earl.

Replacements: Hadfield, Crean, Clarey, B Vunipola, Gonzalez, Simpson, Hartley, Segun.

Referee: Chris Busby (Ire)