Bordeaux retained the Champions Cup with a commanding victory over Leinster in Bilbao, leaving the Irish province to reflect on another final defeat. The French side, led by the prolific Louis Bielle-Biarrey, proved too strong, racing to a 35-7 half-time lead before sealing a 42-28 win.
Bielle-Biarrey scored two tries, taking his season tally to 34 in 30 games, and was named player of the year. The combination of half-backs Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert orchestrated the attack, with Lucu also adding a try and two penalties. Leinster, despite a spirited second-half rally, could not recover from a disastrous first period.
Leinster head coach Leo Cullen acknowledged the gulf in class: 'The game got away from us in the first half. We weren't good enough today. Bordeaux were so sharp.' The defeat was Leinster's fifth in eight Champions Cup finals, highlighting the dominance of French clubs, who have now won the tournament for six consecutive years.
Leinster's tries came from Tommy O'Brien, Joe McCarthy, and Garry Ringrose, but they were outplayed in the opening 40 minutes. Bordeaux's tries were scored by Lucu, Pablo Uberti, Bielle-Biarrey (2), and Yoram Moefana, with Damian Penaud also contributing. The result extends France's recent rugby supremacy, following their Six Nations title earlier this year.
