How Union Bordeaux-Begles Got To Its First Investec Champions Cup Final
How Union Bordeaux-Begles Got To Its First Investec Champions Cup Final
Here's how Union Bordeaux-Begles got to its first Champions Cup Final.
Making its first appearance in the Investec Champions Cup Final, Union Bordeaux-Begles rugby has dominated the competition en route to this maiden appearance, going undefeated in Champions Cup play.
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UBB sits at the top of the table with 20 points and has two players in the top 5 of the statistical standings in every category, plus at least one in the top 3 of each.
Leinster was the only other team to have a perfect finish in pool play, before falling to Northampton in the semifinals.
Now, UBB will face the Northampton Saints for a shot at its first championship, with Northampton hungry for a title after its last bid ended in heartbreak.
Here’s how UBB has fared in each of its matches:
UBB Vs. Leicester - Dec. 8, 2024
UBB defeated the Leicester Tigers 42-28, but the game did not always look like that for UBB.
The Tigers led 21-14 at halftime, but a strong second-half comeback propelled UBB to its first Champions Cup win, led by Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored two second half tries within six minutes.
Bielle-Biarrey’s second try all but sealed the win for UBB, following a try by Pete Samu that pushed UBB into the lead for the first time.
Ulster Vs. UBB - Dec. 14, 2024
UBB perfected its second-half surges against Ulster, scoring 26 straight points to push UBB past Ulster 40-19.
UBB trailed at halftime once again, 19-14, but Damian Penaud led the charge for UBB, taking the lead with a 61st-minute try.
Even on the road, UBB proved it had the energy and star power to play a strong 80 minutes, leaning on stars, such as Penaud, to stay composed and will themselves to victory.
Exeter Chiefs Vs. UBB - Jan. 11, 2025
UBB’s game against Exeter was headlined by Damian Penaud, who had a hat trick of tries, leading UBB to a 69-17 win.
The Bordeaux attack overwhelmed Exeter from start to finish, with Maxime Lucu opening the scoring in the ninth minute.
Despite a second-half red card, Bordeaux was unstoppable, even a man down.
UBB Vs. The Sharks - Jan. 19, 2025
Penaud continued his dominance against the Hollywoodbets Sharks, leading a UBB to a 66-12 win, scoring six tries of his own in the win.
Bordeaux-Begles was not only too much for the Sharks to handle offensively, its defense stifled all but two Shark tries.
Mathieu Jailbert converted seven scores, keeping the score ticking upward for UBB.
Even after the Sharks scored first, UBB dominated and didn’t allow a try past the 12th minute.
UBB Vs. Ulster - April 6, 2025
In the first match of elimination play, UBB defeated Ulster again, this time 43-31.
Even without star Louis Bielle-Biarrey, UBB found enough star power on offense to pull past Ulster, sending the squad home in the Round of 16.
Ulster put up a good fight but could not pull past the red-hot UBB squad.
UBB Vs. Munster - April 12, 2025
In the quarterfinals, UBB pulled away from Munster, taking the victory 47-29.
Bordeaux-Begles put on a clinical performance to take down Munster, laying on the scoring early and not looking back.
At one point, Munster worked its way back to a score of 40-29, but a Bielle-Biarrey try in the 77th minute slammed the door shut for Bordeaux to take the victory.
UBB Vs. Toulouse - May 4, 2025
Facing defending champ Toulouse, UBB did not back down from the giant, defeating last year's winner 35-18, earning them a spot in the Champions Cup Final for the first time.
This was UBB’s third win over Toulouse this season, and UBB held off Toulouse to take the victory.
Despite losing Penaud to injury, his squad held on to take down Toulouse and make history.
Now, UBB heads to Cardiff to take on the Northampton Saints, who are looking to avenge heartbreak from their last time in the final.
Where To Watch The 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup Final
Fans in North America can catch the action live on FloRugby, the official EPCR streaming partner, as the two sides vie for European glory in Cardiff.
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby
FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.