41-19. Union Bordeaux-Bègles revalidates the Champions Cup in Bilbao

Lethal, overwhelming and relentless, the Union Bordeaux-Begles this Saturday in Bilbao he conquered his second consecutive Champions Cup title after convincingly beating the Irish Leinster (41-19). Despite an initial try by the Irish, the UBB players overwhelmed their opponents, scoring five tries before halftime (35-7) and thus sealing the match.

UBB is the sixth team to win two consecutive titles in this competition and the third French team after Toulon, the only one to achieve the treble between 2013 and 2015, and La Rochelle in 2022 and 2023. The kings of European rugby are in the Gironde, and there is no doubt: after a perfect group stage (20 points out of 20), with a resounding victory over Northampton (50-28), 2025 finalist, UBB eliminated the French champion, the Toulouse (30-15), the English champion, Bath (38-26), and finally, in the final, the Irish team, the last winner of the URC. All this with the largest number of essays annotated in a single edition (48).

Against the Irish team, undefeated in the competition and with the best defense before this final, Bordeaux beat them in the “cathedral” of San Mamés in Bilbaowho quickly devoted himself to his cause. The score remained similar to the one they obtained in the 2024 Top 14 final against Toulouse (59-3) for a long time. They just slowed down in the second half.

UBB built its success thanks to an overwhelming first half, where the talent of its three-quarter line and the ferocity of its forwards translated into points against an Irish team that was clumsy in the lineout, in kick-offs and imprecise in its aggressive defense.

Leinster took the lead after a sequence of about twenty phases, culminated by O’Brien (7-0, minute 9). But UBB reacted quickly: although the trial of Cameron Woki was annulled by a handball on the touchline (minute 12), the Basque captain Maxime Lucuafter a long phase, tied the game from close range (7-7, minute 14).

UBB’s first success came with a long Bielle-Biarrey kick that was deflected by Hugo Keenan. This led to a scrum five meters from the try line, on the touchline, which Pablo Uberti culminated with a try at the other end of the field (14-7, minute 19). After the hydration break, Bielle-Biarrey scored the first try, displacing three Irish playersincluding scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park, with some precise feints. He then doubled his tally after Damian Penaud intercepted the ball behind the defense and passed it to Bielle-Biarrey. The flanker has already scored 34 tries in 30 games this season and is the tournament’s top try scorer (10 tries).

Between the two tries, Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) emerged victorious from second sustained Leinster attack near their own try line, which ended with an error by Ireland (minute 30). A final error by the opponent, with a pass intercepted by Yoram Moefana, gave the scoreboard a surreal 35-7 lead at halftime.

Leinsterfour-time champion of the competition but after having lost their last five games, looked to come back at the beginning of the second halffavored by Maxime Lucu’s yellow card. Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB) bowed to the pressure, conceding an unconverted try (35-12), but firmly resisted the Irish attack with another fierce defensive display.

Then, with their captain back on the field, they regained control of the match without trying too hard. He scored two penalty shots to extend the lead and run out the clock before the final Irish try. The only negative aspect for UBB was the injury to Cameron Wokiwho left the field in tears.