Who Will Exercise Their Finals Ghosts? - Champions Cup Final Preview
Northampton Saints’ 25-year pursuit of a second Investec Champions Cup can be over on Saturday if they beat Union Bordeaux-Bègles in the final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
Northampton Saints
Union Bordeaux BèGles
Northampton Saints’ 25-year pursuit of a second Investec Champions Cup can be over on Saturday if they beat Union Bordeaux-Bègles in the final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium.
The Saints, reigning Gallagher Premiership champions, won their only Champions Cup in 2000, with Paul Grayson kicking three penalties in a 9-8 victory at Allianz Stadium. This year the Champions Cup remains their only chance of a trophy after falling out of the playoff race.
Bordeaux, who are second in the Top 14, are in their first final and aiming to become the first new winners since La Rochelle in 2022.
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TRIES, TRIES, TRIES
One thing neither of these teams lack are tries.
Bordeaux’s France international wing Damien Penaud is the tournament leading scorer with 12. If he’s not firing, Bordeaux have Louis Bielle-Biarrey, the Guinness Men’s Six Nations Player of the Championship, on the other wing with eight tries.
It is no secret that Tommy Freeman is Saints leading threat. He’s scored nine tries, including hattricks against Leinster in the semifinal, and Clermont Auvergne in the Round of 16.
Then there is Herny Pollock, whose seven tries in seven matches show how meteoric his rise has been.
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Neither team has been overly forthcoming when discussing potential absentees.
Saints head coach Sam Vesty was vague in the extreme when discussing his players’ fitness, with worries over whether hooker Curtis Langdon, second row Alex Coles and full-back James Ramm can feature.
“There are a few knocks going and a few people who are going to be left quite late,” Vesty told BBC Rugby Union weekly, “but we have a few coming back as well.”
Bordeaux have had worries over Penaud ever since he limped off against Toulouse in the semifinal, but the clarion calls from southwest France have been positive for his return.
“He’s going good,” second row Adam Coleman said. “He’ll be fine for next week, the final - they’re wrapping him in cotton wool.”
FINAL MEMORIES
If Saints are aiming to end their 25-year wait, then they are also hoping to banish their Cardiff blues from 2011.
That was the day they let a 22-6 lead slip to a 34-22 defeat to Leinster, a day when now director of rugby Phil Dowson was among the try scorers.
He has already taken the first step by booking his team into a different hotel from 2011, but he can also look back on Saints most recent trip to a final.
A year ago, Northampton were well below their best when they defeated Bath 25-21 in the Premiership final, but they got the job done.
That is in stark contrast to Bordeaux who reached their first Top 14 Final of the professional era but were brought back to earth with a 59-3 defeat to Toulouse.
"Last year left a big, sour taste in our mouths after working so hard all year and to fall just short,” Coleman said. “It was quite disappointing.”
Both teams showed they can reach an emotional peak in the semifinals; the trick is to now repeat it in the final.
“We want to make sure,” Dowson said, “and I am sure Bordeaux are saying exactly the same thing – that (semi-final) is not the summit of our season, that this game is our best performance and our most exciting one.”
KEEPING THEM OUT
If both teams hold plenty of attacking intent, then when it comes to defences, Bordeaux have the better record. They have conceded an average of 22 points over their seven Champions Cup fixtures, while Saints have conceded 25.7.
That said, flanker Pollock leads the tournament tackle count with 96 in seven matches, while Bordeaux’s best is centre Yoram Moefana with 83 in seven.
Meanwhile, Coles has made the most dominant tackles this season with 11, while his teammates Trevor Davison and Juarno Augustus have made eight and seven, respectively.
Northampton will need to keep a watch on Bordeaux hooker Maxime Lamothe, whose three turnovers were crucial in their semifinal win, but across the season they are half Bordeaux’s best, with Arthur Retiere, Ben Tameifuna, and Nicolas Depoortere all on six.
Again, it is that man Pollock who leads the way with his 18 turnovers the tournament high, something not lost on Adam Coleman.
“What impresses me about them is their work off the ball - defensively they’re very organised. We’ll definitely have to be at our best,” he said.
“They really showed it against Leinster in that semi-final. They were well organised, incredibly aggressive on the hits, their maul stood up. They’ve got a quality forward pack. It’s going to be a tough game.”