Bordeaux Mix Grace And Power To Join Euro Elite
Bordeaux isn’t a place where corks are popped, the locals traditionally prefer a claret, but on Saturday there would have been a few flying down in southwest France when Union Bordeaux Bègles captain Maxime Lucu hoisted the Investec Champions Cup into the Cardiff sky after a dominant 28-22 win over English champions Northampton Saints.
Northampton Saints
Union Bordeaux BèGles
Coles (1', 40')
Tries
Penaud (5', 36'), Coleman (20'), Cazeaux (55')
Smith (2', 40')
Conversions
Jalibert (21')
Smith (24', 32')
Penalties
Jalibert (28'), Lucu (44')
Bordeaux isn’t a place where corks are popped, the locals traditionally prefer a claret, but on Saturday there would have been a few flying down in southwest France when Union Bordeaux Bègles captain Maxime Lucu hoisted the Investec Champions Cup into the Cardiff sky after a dominant 28-22 win over English champions Northampton Saints.
In doing so Bordeaux became the fifth French team to lift the northern hemisphere’s premier club trophy, a result that will go some way to exorcising the ghost of the 2024 Top 14 Final when Toulouse ran riot in a 59-3 victory that UBB have been seeking to banish all season.
Bordeaux scored four tries, two of which took Damien Penaud’s season tally to 14, the club’s total to 54, and their seasonal points tally to 370, all top of their class. UBB merit their great entertainers reputation.
Perhaps they weren’t at their best at the Principality Stadium, but finals do strange things to teams, and Saints were in no mood to roll over and they defended like dogs of war.
WAVE AFTER WAVE
That said, if Matthieu Jalibert hadn’t missed three conversions then their dominance would have been fairer reflected in the scoreline.
Ultimately, Northampton couldn’t withstand the wave of power that came their way despite Alex Coles book ending the first half with two tries to ensure it was even at the break.
In between Penaud twice and Adam Coleman crossed as Bordeaux pressed the accelerator and Jalibert slotted a penalty, but two Fin Smith’s penalties kept them in contention.
Phil Dowson’s side showed great resilience to not crumble after two changes in the first five minutes, both in the back three.
First James Damm went off for Ollie Sleightholme, and then George Furbank departed after a knee in the head a minute later, with Tom Litchfield his replacement.
It meant rejigging the backline, and the confusion showed when Tommy Freeman covering as fullback lost the bounce of the ball and pulled Penaud down in midair just before halftime. A yellow card duly followed.
EARLY REPLACEMENTS
While there, second row Ed Prowse, a 30th minute replacement for Temo Mayanavanua, joined him early in the second half.
It meant Saints needed to react on the fly and use substitutes earlier than planned and while Bordeaux only stretched their lead by three the foundations for victory was set.
Fatigue was kicking in and Saints players brains were starting to scramble. Henry Pollock appeared to have scored early in the second half, but both he and Coles were caught by the Television Match Official (TMO) for off the ball offences.
Overall, it wasn’t a great day for Saints’ British and Irish Lions quartet, but then Bordeaux didn’t let them.
JALIBERT AT THE WHEEL
Jalibert was enjoying running the show, Lucu was in his armchair behind a pack that didn’t relent and powered into the breakdown.
Cyril Cazeaux powered over from a rolling maul, and while Saints’ defence kept out their subsequent attempts, with Angus Scott-Young vital in their maul defence, the match was running away, and they struggled to leave their half.
Alex Mitchell tried prompting, but the one time Northampton built some momentum, the move broke down when the scrumhalf fumbled a pass in the shadow of the posts.
That was their last effort and with an eight-point buffer Bordeaux closed down their opponents and closed out the match for their first major trophy of the professional era.
On this showing, it won’t be the last.