Bordeaux overcomes Toulouse in contest, securing placement in Champions Cup final thanks to Bielle-Biarrey's performance.

Let's Get this Show on the Road:

Yannick Bru, the victorious coach of Union Bordeaux-Bègles, couldn't contain his excitement after securing their first Champions Cup final appearance. "We fucked it up, it's fucking awesome, it's been a fucking amazing day. It's a blast to experience moments like this. The show was stellar, and I'm fucking stoked for rugby," he declared.

On 24th May, they'll face off against the underdogs, Northampton Saints, in the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. The English side made headlines by defeating the odds-on favorites, Leinster, in the semi-finals[5].

Louis Bielle-Biarrey was a force to be reckoned with in Bordeaux's victory over Stade Toulousain. He scored two tries, one either side of halftime, at the Stade Matmut[2]. Pete Samu opened the scoring for Bordeaux with a try, and Pierre Bochaton and Ben Tameifuna followed suit in the second half.

Toulouse struggled to keep up, with Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi crossing the line but never really being in the game.

Romain Ntamack, Toulouse fly-half, acknowledged their missteps. "They're bloody realistic. Every time they ventured into our half, they scored tries or penalties. That was the difference today. They weren't significantly better than us, but they were vastly more practical than us."

Bru recognized the importance of his team taking advantage of every opportunity, "We knew that everything was going to count. When you play Toulouse in the knockout rounds, everything counts: the forwards, the pack's performance, the breakaways."

It was a fiercely anticipated match between the top two sides in France's Top 14.

Toulouse, title holders and six-time champions, were faced with something of a crisis, with the international quartet of Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Peato Mauvaka, and Blair Kinghorn sidelined with injuries[5]. They quickly fell behind when Bordeaux fly-half Matthieu Jalibert launched a counter-attack in the fifth minute. Samu powered through for the score, and Jalibert converted and added a penalty before Juan Cruz Mallia put Toulouse on the board with a penalty.

After 15 minutes, wing Delibes scored to bring Toulouse within striking distance. Mallia missed the conversion but shortly landed a penalty to give Toulouse a short-lived lead.

But it was short-lived as Bielle-Biarrey benefited from some brilliant work by Romain Buros and Damian Penaud to dive over in the left-hand corner. Penaud, France's record try-scorer, later limped off with an injured left ankle[2]. Maxime Lucu, Bordeaux's scrum-half, capitalized on the momentum, landing a 58-metre penalty to extend their lead to 18–10 at halftime.

Just moments into the second half, Bielle-Biarrey scored a second try to give Bordeaux a firm grip on the game. Barassi gave Toulouse a foothold with a try in the 55th minute, but late efforts from close range from Bochaton and Tameifuna underscored Bordeaux's dominance and sealed their spot in the final.

"I'm damned proud of my lads," Bru said. "They didn't want to lose."

As Bordeaux heads to the final, Toulouse turns their attention to defending their domestic title. With four regular-season Top 14 matches remaining, they boast a 10-point lead and are on course for a first-round playoff bye. Bordeaux-Bègles, in second place, are also in contention for a bye[5].

Ntamack acknowledges they'll need to regroup, "We're gonna have to fucking step things up because the league isn't over yet." He added, "It's always fucking frustrating to lose in the Champions Cup semi-finals, but that's part of the game. We can't win every goddamn year. We've still got a goal to reach, and we're going to concentrate on that now."

Enrichment Data:

Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Northampton Saints will clash in the 2025 Investec Champions Cup final on May 24 at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff[1][3][5]
Union Bordeaux-Bègles claimed victory over Stade Toulousain in the semi-finals, with a score of 35–18[2], marking their first Champions Cup final appearance
Northampton Saints pulled off an upset against Leinster to reach the final[5], with a thrilling 37–34 scoreline, signifying their first Champions Cup final since 2011[5].
The 2025 Investec Champions Cup final will witness a clash between Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Northampton Saints on May 24, taking place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Union Bordeaux-Bègles secured their first Champions Cup final appearance after a 35–18 victory over France's Stade Toulousain in the semi-finals.
Northampton Saints, with a thrilling 37–34 win over Leinster, earned their spot in the final, marking their first Champions Cup final since 2011.
In the weeks leading up to the final, Union Bordeaux-Bègles will face off against Toulouse for the domestic title, as Toulouse attempts to defend their crown.
Post their semi-final defeat, Romain Ntamack, Toulouse fly-half, emphasized the need for his team to regroup, stating, "We're gonna have to step things up because the league isn't over yet."