Bordeaux Bègles secured a 38-26 victory over Bath in the Champions Cup semi-final, booking their place in the final against Leinster in Bilbao. The French side, defending champions, were propelled by half-backs Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert, along with wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored one of their five tries.
Match Overview
Bath, hoping to replicate their 1998 Champions Cup triumph in Bordeaux, were ultimately outclassed despite a valiant effort. Will Muir scored a brace for the visitors, but the English champions could not overcome the formidable Bordeaux side.
Controversial Head Contacts
Bath's director of rugby, Johann van Graan, expressed frustration over three apparent head-on-head collisions involving Alfie Barbeary that were not reviewed by the TMO. He praised the officials but called for consistency across matches.
First Half Action
Bordeaux started strongly, with Marko Gazzotti scoring a try within two minutes. Bath responded quickly through Muir, but Bielle-Biarrey's try and Lucu's score gave Bordeaux a 24-12 halftime lead.
Second Half Comeback
Bath narrowed the gap early in the second half through Louie Hennessey, but Bordeaux regained control. Despite a disallowed try for Gaëtan Barlot, Ben Tameifuna and Temo Matiu added late scores to seal the win. Tom Carr-Smith's last-gasp try was mere consolation.
The victory means the last English winner of the Champions Cup remains in 2020, as Bordeaux advance to face Leinster in the final.
