Champions Cup final: Bordeaux Bègles 28 Northampton Saints 20
Uh-oh. Leinster and the Irish provinces have another new French force to contend with. This was a major breakthrough for Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB), and was riotously celebrated in the Principality Stadium, among the fans back in Bordeaux who snapped up the 20,000 tickets to watch the final on a large screen, into the night and on Sunday’s homecoming and civic reception. This mattered, and hugely.
UBB are now one of three Top 14 clubs to have contributed to five French triumphs in succession in the Champions Cup and ala La Rochelle they have taken to Europe in order to lift their first trophy and earn their first star. Also like La Rochelle, and Toulon before them, UBB don’t look like going away any time soon.
After a spectacular first half to augment the spectacular prematch build-up this final may have become a little too disjointed to scale the heights of some previous finals, but under the enclosed Principality Stadium, it sure had a fitting sense of occasion.
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Amid the vast mix of colours there was a fair sprinkling of Leinster blue in the hope of them reaching a sixth final in eight years, as well as a fair smattering of Munster red yet again, despite this being a 17th season without their team in the final.
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When tries were replayed on the giant screens from each of the previous winning finalists, Leinster’s contributions were both cheered and jeered, especially given the estimated 20,000 Saints fans who made a three-and-a-quarter hour journey into six hours didn’t need reminders of their last appearance in a final, in 2011, and that Johnny Sexton-inspired comeback.
A little surprisingly, but revealingly, the UBB fans patriotically cheered reminders of other French wins (and were still singing Les Marseillaise an hour after the full-time whistle) while the loudest derision, from all corners, was reserved for Saracens.
The vibrant UBB convoy looked more than the forecast 3,000 and, of course, they certainly made the noise of at least thrice that number. Promoted from ProdD2 in 2011, this was a club that had been banging ever more loudly on the door of the elite level French and European rugby.
The best-supported club in the Top 14 had a voracious appetite for their first trophy since they were founded in 2006 as a result of a merger between two Bordeaux clubs, Stade Bordelais and Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde. Even the last of their combined nine French Championships was back in 1991.
The first half was a rollercoaster, displaying the creative genius of Matthieu Jalibert and roving threat of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and the finishing of Damian Penaud. UBB scored three tries, all created by Jalibert, to two typically slick Northampton tries by the tireless Alex Coles only to be pegged back to 20-20.
Although Nika Amashukeli is an excellent referee and had another fine game, the second half was more disjointed, with continuing TMO interventions to adjudicate on disallowed tries for each side and three yellow cards in total.
Still, Maxime Lucu and Jalibert, though not imperfect, turned the territorial screw with their kicking game as UBB continually turned to their lineout maul and power game. A less defiant and dangerous side than Northampton, despite losing two of their back three in the opening five minutes, would have conceded more than Lucu’s penalty and a try by the trojan lock Cyril Cazeaux, who has played every minute of the knockout stages.
But, while conceding that this wasn’t UBB’s best performance of the season and that the final didn’t flow, as attack coach Noel McNamara said: “Ultimately, what is a final about? It’s about trying to get over the line and thankfully we managed to do that in the end.”
The only discordant note was allegations of foul play after the full-time whistle, specifically Henry Pollock claiming he was hit in the neck, and UBB players mocked the 20-year-old’s fingers-on-the-throat, try celebration. Captain Fraser Dingwall said Pollock was “targeted”, and one imagines it might not be the last time.
In finishing off two tries to extend his record haul to 14 in one season, Penaud was awarded the Anthony Foley in a week when then latter’s mother Sheelagh sadly passed away, so following in the footsteps of Antoine Dupont and Grégory Alldritt.
“My season isn’t really important; what matters is getting a star. As for the rest, frankly, I don’t really care. If I had gotten that star without scoring, I would have been happy anyway. But of course, I also wanted to win it for my father [Alain] who won it in ’97 [with Brive]. It’s something wonderful, and it’s also for him.”
Jalibert will always have his detractors, but this was a bravura and brave statement performance by the 28-year-old in earning the first major silverware of his career, and so joining a stellar list of outhalves to have won this trophy.
“Honestly, I didn’t feel much pressure,” he said afterwards in a charming manner which rather belied his reputation. “It’s a rugby match, that’s all. Sure, it’s a big event, but we prepared for it like any other match. But still, I felt the group was both very relaxed and very excited to experience this moment. I never felt like there was a weight on our shoulders.
“On an individual level, it was the same. Of course, in this position, you’re always under a lot of scrutiny. But like I’ve been since the start of the season, I’m trying to play my rugby and be the best I can.”
Mais oui, European rugby has a new champion and a new force.
Scoring sequence – 2 mins: Coles try, Smith con 0-7; 6: Penaud try 5-7; 20: Coleman try, Jalibert con 12-7; 25: Smith pen 12-10; 29: Jalibert pen 15-10; 33: Smith pen 15-13; 37: Penaud try 20-13; 40: Coles try, Smith con 20-20; Half-time: 20-20; 45: Lucu pen 23-20; 56: Cazeaux try 28-20.
BORDEAUX BÈGLES: R Buros; D Penaud, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, M Lucu (capt); J Poirot, M Lamothe, S Falatea; A Coleman, C Cazeaux; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu.
Replacements: A Retiere for Burros (12 mins), B Tameifuna for Falatea, M Gazzotti for Diaby (both h-t), P Bochaton for Coleman (50), U Boniface for Poirot (59), C Sa for Lamothe (63), R Janse van Rensburg for Moefana (73),
Yellow card: Diaby (30-40 mins).
NORTHAMPTON SAINTS: G Furbank; T Freeman, F Dingwall (capt), R Hutchinson, J Ramm; F Smith, A Mitchell; E Iyogun, C Langdon, T Davison; T Mayanavanua, T Lockett; A Coles, J Kemeny, H Pollock.
Replacements: O Sleightholme for Ramm (3 mins), T Litchfield for Furbank (5), E Prowse for Mayanavanua (30), E Millar-Mills for Davison (60), C Wright for Langdon, A Scott-Young for Lockyer (both 61), Langdon for Wright (73), T James for Mitchell (78).
Yellow cards: Freeman (37-47 mins), Prowse (44-54).
Referee: N Amashukeli (Geo).
