Zac Ward’s inclusion for injured wing Robert Baloucoune is among three Ulster changes from last weekend’s comeback win over the Stormers for Sunday’s Investec Champions Cup last-16 game against Bordeaux at Stade Chaban-Delmas.
Baloucoune was forced off because of another hamstring injury after earlier scoring a try as he made his first appearance of the season for Ulster last weekend.
James Hume returns at centre in place of Ben Carson after being a late withdrawal from the Stormers game because of illness.
Ulster’s other change is in the back row where James McNabney takes over from Matty Rea.
Ireland hooker Rob Herring’s inclusion means he will become the first player to make 250 appearances for Ulster.
The sides met in the group stage of the competition in December when the in-form French side scored 26 unanswered points to win 40-19 at Kingspan Stadium.
Bordeaux retain only six starters from that game who include star wing Damian Penaud, his fellow France Six Nations winner Maxime Lucu and former Ireland fly-half Joey Carbery.
Penaud, Luca and centre Yoram Moefana all started in France’s Six Nations-clinching victory over Scotland three weeks ago but player of the tournament wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey is not named in Bordeaux’s matchday squad.
Prop Jefferson Poirot and Guido Petti, who switches from lock to the back row, are the pack survivors from the game in Belfast four months ago.
Bordeaux: Buros; Penaud, Moefana, Tapuai, Uberti; Carbery, Lucu (capt); Poirot, Lamothe, Tameifuna; Cazeaux, Coleman; Daiby, Petti, Samu.
Replacements: Latterrade, Perchaud, Falatea, Bochaton, Vergnes-Taillefer, Lesgourgues, Janse van Rensburg, Jalibert
Ulster: Lowry; Ward, Hume, McCloskey, Stockdale; Murphy, Cooney; Warwick, Herring, O’Toole; O’Connor (capt), Treadwell; McNabney, Timoney, McCann
Replacements: Stewart, Reid, Wilson, Dalton, Matty Rea, Doak, Morgan, Moore.
