France star Louis Bielle-Biarrey struck twice as Bordeaux-Begles got here by way of a monumental all-French semifinal to beat defending champions Toulouse 35-18 on Sunday and e-book their place within the Champions Cup ultimate.
“We have received, it is magnificent, it has been an impressive day, it is nice to expertise moments like this, the present was top of the range and I am pleased for rugby,” mentioned head coach Yannick Bru, after Bordeaux-Begles reached their first ultimate within the competitors.
In Cardiff on Could 24, they’ll face English aspect Northampton who upset favourites Leinster on Saturday.
A primary #InvestecChampionsCup Ultimate ⭐️@UBBRugby will go for his or her first star in Cardiff after they beat the defending champions Stade Toulousain by 35 factors to 18 👏
Meet up with all of the motion because it occurred with the rolling wrap ⬇️
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 4, 2025
Bielle-Biarrey, who scored eight tries in the course of the Six Nations to assist France to the championship, struck both aspect of halftime on the Stade Matmut.
No 8 Pete Samu scored the opening attempt for Bordeaux with substitute lock Pierre Bochaton and prop Ben Tameifuna going over within the second half.
Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi crossed for Toulouse however they have been all the time struggling to stick with the tempo.
“They’re hyper-realistic,” Toulouse fly half Romain Ntamack instructed France 2. “Each time they got here into our half they scored tries or penalties. That is the distinction as we speak. They’re removed from being higher than us as we speak, however they have been far more pragmatic than us.”
Bru agreed his staff had maximised their alternatives.
“We knew that every part would rely,” Bru mentioned. “Once you play Toulouse within the knockout rounds, every part counts: the forwards, the pack’s efficiency, the breakaways.”
It was a highly-anticipated conflict between the 2 main sides in France’s Prime 14.
Toulouse, the six-time champions, who beat Leinster in final yr’s ultimate, went into the sport underpowered with worldwide quartet Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos, Peato Mauvaka and Blair Kinghorn all out injured.
They have been quickly behind when Bordeaux fly-half Matthieu Jalibert launched a counter-attack from a turnover within the fifth minute. He flew 50 metres upfield earlier than offloading for Samu to gallop by way of for the rating.
Jalibert transformed and added a penalty earlier than Argentinian full-back Juan Cruz Mallia put Toulouse on the board with a penalty.
After quarter-hour, wing Delibes went over in the suitable nook to deliver Toulouse inside two factors. Mallia missed the conversion however popped over a penalty to place Toulouse forward for the primary, and solely time, within the match.
‘DIDN’T WANT TO LOSE’
It solely lasted one minute earlier than Bielle-Biarrey benefitted from some very good work by Romain Buros and Damian Penaud to skate by way of within the left-hand nook.
France’s document try-scorer Penaud later hobbled off with an injured left ankle.
Scrum-half Maxime Lucu landed an outrageous 58-metre penalty to place Bordeaux 18-10 forward at halftime and inside moments of the restart, Bielle-Biarrey struck a second time to present the house aspect a agency grip on the sport.
Barassi gave Toulouse a foothold with a attempt within the fifty fifth minute however late efforts from shut vary from forwards Bochaton and Tameifuna underlined Bordeaux’s dominance and sealed their place within the ultimate.
“I am happy with the lads,” mentioned Bru. “They did not wish to lose.”
Whereas Bordeaux-Begles head to the ultimate, Toulouse flip to defending their home title. With 4 regular-season Prime 14 matches left, they lead the standings by 10 factors and are heading for a first-round playoff bye. Bordeaux-Begles are additionally in place for a bye as they narrowly maintain second place.
“We’ll have to show issues round as a result of the league is not over but,” mentioned Ntmack.
“It is all the time irritating to exit within the Champions Cup semifinals,” he added. “But it surely’s a part of our sport. We won’t win yearly. We nonetheless have a objective to succeed in and defend. We’ll focus on that now.”
