Defending champions Bordeaux-Bègles booked their spot in the Investec Champions Cup final after a thrilling win against Bath at the Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole on Sunday.
France flyer Louis Bielle-Biarrey was on target for the title-holders Bordeaux as they set up a clash with Irish giants Leinster, who edged Toulon 29-25 in Dublin 24 hours earliers. The hosts ran in five tries in a 38-26 victory.
It was English Premiership champions Bath’s first Champions Cup semi-final in 20 years, but the Johann van Graan-led outfit will now have to regroup and refocus on the domestic front.
The start of the match was delayed by 10 minutes because of the driving rain but the conditions, which dried up, had no effect on a thrilling contest.
Marko Gazzoti, Maxime Lucu, Ben Tameifuma and Temo Matiu also touched down for Bordeaux, who will defend their crown at the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao on 23 May.
Bordeaux started with their foot on the pedal. Just two minutes in, they switched the ball out left, Damian Penaud carved a hole in the Bath defence and No 8 Gazzotti piled through for the first try.
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Bath took it in the stride, England scrumhalf Ben Spencer’s perfectly-weighted kick to the corner giving left wing Will Muir a simple touchdown which Finn Russell converted to level the scores.
That was the cue for Bielle-Biarrey to motor through for his eighth try in the tournament this season – his 29th in 27 matches in total – to put Bordeaux back in front.
But again Bath refused to lie down. A series of pick and gos saw Alfie Barbeary cross the Bordeaux line but he was unable to get the ball down.
Moments later, Bath moved the ball wide again, Harry Arundell creating the space for Muir who lived up to his nickname of ‘The Horse’ by galloping for the corner and diving through the tackle to grab his second try.
Six minutes before the break, some slick home handling opened up the Bath defence and Lucu scored under the posts before adding his third conversion.
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The France scrumhalf then added a penalty just before the break to give Bordeaux a 24-12 lead at the break.
Bath, who came back from 21-point deficit to beat Northampton in the quarter-finals, battled hard at the of the second half and closed the gap 10 minutes in.
One flowing attack ended with Santiago Carreras spilling the ball with the line at his mercy but from the ensuing penalty, the ball found its way to centre Loui Hennessey who forced his way through for the try.
With the gap down to five points Bath had a golden opportunity to snatch the lead but they made a mess of a line-out five metres from the Bordeaux line.
The French side punished them 10 minutes from time when Tonga prop Tameifuma, all 151kgs of him, crashed through for the try.
Matiu topped off a fine performance two minutes from the end before Tom Carr-Smith grabbed a consolation try for the 1998 champions.
BORDEAUX BÈGLES – Tries: Marko Gazzoti, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Maxime Lucu, Ben Tameifuma, Temo Matiu. Conversions: Lucu (5)
BATH – Tries: Will Muir, Loui Hennessey, Tom Carr-Smith. Conversions: Finn Russell (3)
– AFP
Photo: David Rogers/Getty Images
The post Brilliant Bordeaux dump Van Graan’s Bath appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.
Defending champs Bordeaux-Bègles booked their spot in the Investec Champions Cup final after a thrilling win against Bath at the Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole on Sunday.
The post Brilliant Bordeaux dump Van Graan’s Bath appeared first on SA Rugby magazine. Read More
