Champions Cup
Munster crash out of Champions Cup after dramatic Castres defeat
Published
9 months agoon
Munster’s Champions Cup campaign ended in agonising fashion as they fell to a 31-29 defeat against Castres Olympique at Thomond Park, despite scoring five tries in a pulsating encounter that ebbed and flowed throughout.
Key moments:
2′ – PENALTY CASTRES: Jeremy Fernandez kicks penalty from central position (Munster 0-3 Castres)
11′ – TRY CASTRES: Vuate Karawalevu powers through Munster defence, Jeremy Fernandez converts (Munster 0-10 Castres)
17′ – TRY MUNSTER: Craig Casey scores after flowing move, Jack Crowley converts (Munster 7-10 Castres)
35′ – TRY MUNSTER: Craig Casey scores second try from maul, Jack Crowley’s conversion ruled out after time expired (Munster 12-10 Castres)
38′ – TRY CASTRES: Theo Chabouni scores after chip and chase, Jeremy Fernandez converts (Munster 12-17 Castres)
Half-time: Munster 12-17 Castres
47′ – TRY MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams scores in corner, Jack Crowley misses conversion (Munster 17-17 Castres)
49′ – SUBSTITUTIONS MUNSTER: Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson and Lee Barron replace Jean Kleyn, Jack O’Donoghue and Niall Scannell
60′ – TRY MUNSTER: Edwin Edogbo scores bonus-point try, Jack Crowley misses conversion (Munster 22-17 Castres)
63′ – YELLOW CARD MUNSTER: Tom Farrell sent to sin bin for dangerous clearout
68′ – TRY CASTRES: Geoffrey Palis scores in corner, Enzo Herve converts (Munster 22-24 Castres)
72′ – TRY CASTRES: Christian Ambadiang scores after crossfield kick, Enzo Herve converts (Munster 22-31 Castres)
75′ – YELLOW CARD CASTRES: Leone Nakarawa sent to sin bin
78′ – TRY MUNSTER: Edwin Edogbo powers over, Jack Crowley converts (Munster 29-31 Castres)
Full-time: Munster 29-31 Castres
Clayton McMillan’s side fought valiantly in their 20th European meeting with the French club, with scrum-half Craig Casey scoring two first-half tries and replacement Edwin Edogbo grabbing a crucial brace. But Jack Crowley’s struggles off the tee, missing three conversion attempts, proved costly as Munster fell just short in a dramatic finale that left the home crowd in stunned silence.
The defeat means Munster finish fifth in Pool 2 and drop into the Challenge Cup’s last 16 following Toulon’s 31-14 victory over Gloucester. For Castres, the victory secured their first ever win at Thomond Park in nine attempts and keeps their Champions Cup hopes alive with progression to the knockout stages.
The match started positively for the visitors, who came to Limerick with a stronger side than many had anticipated, fielding several frontline players rather than a second-string selection. Their intent was clear from the opening minutes as they dominated possession and territory, eventually earning a penalty in a central position. Scrum-half Jeremy Fernandez made no mistake from the tee, thumping the ball between the posts to give Castres a 3-0 lead after just three minutes.
Munster, for whom captain Tadhg Beirne was making his 100th appearance for the province, struggled to find their rhythm in the opening exchanges. Craig Casey, passed fit despite suffering what had been described as a serious shoulder injury in the previous weekend’s defeat to Toulon, had possession spilled by a thunderous tackle from Baptiste Cope, while a promising break from Beirne ended with an overhit pass to the scrum-half.
The French side’s early pressure was rewarded with a try in the 11th minute that showcased their attacking threat. From a lineout, Castres set up a powerful driving maul that pushed Munster backwards before the ball was recycled. Centre Vuate Karawalevu, who would later be named player of the match, ran a superb angled line and accelerated onto the ball at pace, bursting through the attempted tackles of Gavin Coombes and Fineen Wycherley to power over. Fernandez added the conversion to extend the lead to 10-0, leaving Munster with a mountain to climb.
The home crowd needed something to lift them, and it arrived in the 17th minute through a try that epitomised Munster’s attacking potential. A scrum on halfway provided the platform, and the backs showed excellent handling skills to create space. Wing Thaakir Abrahams took an awkward pass from Alex Nankivell with impressive composure before finding Jack O’Donoghue in support. The flanker’s perfectly timed offload released Casey, who had read the play brilliantly and was running a support line at pace to finish under the posts. Crowley added the conversion to reduce the deficit to 10-7 and ignite Thomond Park.
Referee Matthew Carley was taking no nonsense from either side, and when three Munster players complained about a decision in the 15th minute, he awarded a penalty against them and issued a stern warning to captain Beirne that any further dissent would result in a yellow card. The message was clear: control your team.
The match had developed into a highly entertaining contest, with both sides willing to move the ball and take risks. Abrahams was particularly lively for Munster, his footwork and pace causing problems for the Castres defence. After one mazy run from deep, he couldn’t quite connect with Casey on the offload, but Munster continued to threaten.
Castres demonstrated their own quality when breaking through the Munster line on multiple occasions. Full-back Theo Chabouni and the powerful Karawalevu showed excellent footwork to bring them within five metres of the Munster line, but Beirne produced a crucial turnover around the half-hour mark to relieve the pressure on his side.
Munster’s intensity increased as half-time approached, and they regained the lead in the 35th minute through another well-worked score. After Abrahams’ electric footwork earned a penalty, Crowley kicked to the corner. The lineout was secured cleanly by Niall Scannell, and Munster executed a textbook driving maul. Just as it appeared the maul might be brought down, Casey showed his awareness by taking the ball from Scannell and spotting space down the short side. A clever step inside bamboozled two Castres defenders who were intent on bundling him into touch, and he squeezed over in the corner for his second try.
However, Crowley’s conversion attempt was ruled out after he took too long to take the kick, with referee Carley indicating time had expired. The score remained at 12-10 rather than extending the lead to four points, a detail that would prove significant as the match reached its climax.
Castres responded immediately to Munster’s try, and on the stroke of half-time they reclaimed the lead through a moment of opportunism from Chabouni. Playing with a penalty advantage after a powerful carry from prop Atunaisa Sokobale had breached the Munster line, the full-back launched a perfectly weighted chip over the top of the Munster defence. He accelerated between two defenders to chase his own kick, and when Jack O’Donoghue slid to gather the ball, it struck his knee and rolled behind the try-line. Chabouni pounced to touch down, and Fernandez’s conversion made it 17-12 to Castres at the interval.
The five-point deficit left Munster with everything to play for in the second half, and Beirne kept his players on the pitch for several moments after the half-time whistle, clearly delivering a message about the importance of the next 40 minutes to their season.
Munster emerged with renewed purpose and levelled the scores within two minutes of the restart. After defending deep in their own half, they broke brilliantly through the phases, working the ball wide with slick handling. The move featured excellent work from Nankivell and powerful carries from Coombes before the ball reached Abrahams on 47 minutes, who showed tremendous bravery to fight through contact from Jeremy Fernandez and squeeze over in the corner. Crowley’s conversion attempt from wide out drifted right of the posts, but at 17-17 the game was finely balanced.
McMillan introduced fresh legs from the bench in the 49th minute, bringing on Edwin Edogbo, Brian Gleeson and Lee Barron for Jean Kleyn, O’Donoghue and Scannell. The impact was almost immediate, with Edogbo’s ball-carrying adding punch to Munster’s attack.
Castres nearly extended their lead against the run of play in the 52nd minute when they broke the length of the pitch from deep inside their own half. Slick passing from their backs carved open the Munster defence, with Karawalevu prominent again, and Santiago Arata crossed the line. However, a TMO check revealed a forward pass in the build-up, and the try was ruled out. It was a major let-off for Munster and a warning that the French side remained dangerous.
The home side finally edged ahead in the 60th minute to secure the crucial bonus point. After Shane Daly charged down a Theo Chabouni clearance kick close to the try-line, Munster won a lineout in a promising position. The set-piece didn’t go to plan as Castres stole it, but in the ensuing scramble, Leone Nakarawa somehow spilled the ball which landed perfectly for Edogbo to show tremendous awareness and dive over the line for the try. Crowley’s conversion attempt was badly sliced wide, leaving Munster just five points clear at 22-17 when they should have been seven ahead.
The momentum shifted dramatically in the 63rd minute when centre Tom Farrell was shown a yellow card for a dangerous clearout at a ruck. Castres wing Christian Ambadiang had gone to ground with a knee injury, and after a TMO review, referee Carley determined that Farrell had illegally dropped his weight on the player’s leg. With Munster down to 14 men for the next 10 minutes, Castres had a golden opportunity to seize control.
The French side won a penalty and kicked to the corner, earning a scrum just eight metres from the Munster line. Although Ambadiang knocked the ball forward from the scrum, Munster were ruled offside and another scrum was set. This time Castres made no mistake. After several phases of patient build-up close to the line, they sent a looping pass left from Enzo Herve to wing Geoffrey Palis, who just managed to get the ball down in the corner despite close attention from the Munster defence. Replacement fly-half Herve, who had come on for Pierre Popelin in the 47th minute, showed his quality with a brilliant conversion from the touchline to give Castres a 24-22 lead with 11 minutes remaining.
Munster, still a man down, needed to respond, but disaster struck in the 72nd minute. Castres launched a crossfield kick towards Ambadiang on the left wing, and the winger got the better of Shane Daly to gather the ball, shrug off the full-back’s tackle attempt and score. Herve’s outstanding conversion from a tight angle extended the lead to 31-22, leaving Munster needing two scores with just eight minutes remaining.
A glimmer of hope appeared in the 75th minute when Castres lock Leone Nakarawa was shown a yellow card for a cynical infringement, with Farrell returning from the sin bin to restore Munster to their full complement. Now with an extra man, Munster launched a desperate assault on the Castres line.
JJ Hanrahan, who had replaced Ben O’Connor in the 56th minute, kicked to the corner and Munster won the lineout. They initially tried to work the ball wide under advantage but made a mess of it. Given another opportunity, they opted for a tap-and-go, and Edogbo used all his considerable power to smash through the Castres defence and score his second try in the 78th minute. Crowley finally found his range with the conversion, making it 29-31 with two minutes remaining.
Thomond Park erupted as Munster sensed an unlikely escape, but they needed to regain possession quickly. The clock had gone into the red as Munster desperately tried to find the winning score. They recycled possession frantically from deep in their own 22, probing for a gap in the Castres defence. But with the seconds ticking away, Crowley lost possession in the tackle as Castres forced a turnover. As the French side secured the ball, the final whistle blew, sparking wild celebrations from the pocket of around 20 Castres supporters and stunned silence around the rest of the 20,043-strong crowd.
Munster’s players sank to the turf, crestfallen at how close they had come. Crowley’s three missed conversions from five attempts had ultimately proved crucial, denying Munster the points they needed to force a draw or even claim victory. Casey’s outstanding performance despite his injury concerns had not been enough, and Edogbo’s powerful double off the bench had come too late to rescue the situation.
The statistics told the story of a match Munster could have won. They had scored five tries to Castres’ four and dominated large periods of play, but crucial errors and poor discipline at key moments had undermined their efforts. Munster missed 37 tackles throughout the match, with soft defending particularly evident in the build-up to both first-half tries. Farrell’s yellow card had arrived at the worst possible time, allowing Castres to score twice while Munster were reduced to 14 men and turn a five-point deficit into a nine-point lead.
“There wasn’t any one thing in particular,” McMillan reflected afterwards. “I think we missed a couple of kicks at goal. We fell off a few tackles. We created a few opportunities and didn’t quite nail them, missed a couple of lineouts. It’s the accumulation of all the little things that make all the difference in the end. They hurt us. The big disappointment for me and the worrying trend is that we work really hard to score some points, but we give up points very quickly after scoring. We don’t make it hard for opposition to have to come back and get points, and that’s the one worrying trend for me over the last three or four weeks.”
Captain Beirne acknowledged his side’s failings in crucial moments. “I felt like when we went ahead we were good, and then we just lost our way briefly,” he said. “We weren’t switched on and we weren’t good enough in those moments and they were able to exert more pressure onto us and capitalised on it. I think we’ll be disappointed with our first half performance, defensively, for sure. We fell off too many tackles and just left them into the game that way.”
For Castres, it was a night to celebrate a historic first victory at Thomond Park. Captain Baptiste Delaporte’s side had arrived in Limerick as underdogs but showed tremendous character to withstand Munster’s late onslaught. Karawalevu’s physical power and elusive running had caused problems throughout, while the performances of Chabouni and Ambadiang in the back three had been crucial. Herve’s nerveless goal-kicking in the closing stages, particularly his two conversions from difficult angles, had steadied Castres when Munster threatened to overwhelm them.
The defeat leaves Munster’s European season in tatters. They finish fifth in Pool 2 and will drop into the Challenge Cup’s last 16, a disappointing outcome for a club with such rich European heritage. Their hopes of Champions Cup glory are over for another year, eliminated at the pool stage for just the fourth time since 1999.
It was a crushing end to what had been an entertaining match featuring nine tries and end-to-end action in a record-breaking ball-in-play time. Munster had given everything, fighting to the final whistle, but in the unforgiving world of European rugby, narrow defeats count for nothing. As the Castres players celebrated wildly with their small band of supporters, the Munster faithful trudged out of Thomond Park knowing their side had let a winnable match slip away.
Scorers:
Munster: Tries: Casey (17, 35), Abrahams (47), Edogbo (60, 78). Cons: Crowley (2).
Castres: Tries: Karawalevu (11), Chabouni (39), Palis (68), Ambadiang (72). Cons: Fernandez (2), Herve (2). Pens: Fernandez (3).
Yellow cards: Farrell (Munster, 63), Nakarawa (Castres, 75).
Munster: Daly, Abrahams, Farrell, Nankivell (Kelly 60), O’Connor (Hanrahan 56), Crowley, Casey, Loughman (Milne 56), Scannell (Barron 49), Ala’alatoa (Jager 56), Kleyn (Edogbo 49), Wycherley, Beirne (c), O’Donoghue (Gleeson 49), Coombes.
Castres: Chabouni, Ambadiang (Manu 16-28, 68), Karawalevu, Goodhue, Palis, Popelin (Herve 47), Fernandez (Arata 47), Sokobale (Tichit 47), Zarantonello (Durand-Pradere 55), Collier (Azar 40), Maravat, Staniforth (Nakarawa 56), Delaporte (c), Cope (Ardron 56), Vanverberghe.
Referee: Matthew Carley (England)
Attendance: 20,043.
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Champions Cup
Pools revealed for Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup
EPCR confirms the 2026/27 Champions Cup and Challenge Cup pools with tightened qualification rules and a revamped bonus point system on the road to Lyon.
Published
4 months agoon
1st July 2026
The pools for the 2026/27 Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup have been confirmed following Wednesday’s draw at the Premier Sports studios in Dublin, with defending champions Union Bordeaux-Begles, newly crowned Top 14 winners Toulouse, URC champions Leinster and Gallagher Premiership title holders Northampton Saints placed in separate pools as the four Tier 1 clubs.
The draw was hosted by presenters Elma Smit and Benjamin Boyet, with former Ireland international Stephen Ferris serving as the official ball drawer and Legal Consultant David Hurley acting as independent scrutineer.
Two significant rule changes were also announced ahead of the new campaign, which gets under way on Friday 16 October and culminates at the OL Stadium in Lyon, where the Challenge Cup final takes place on Friday 21 May 2027 and the Champions Cup final follows on Saturday 22 May.
Pool 2 stands out as the draw’s toughest section. Six-time champions Toulouse, three-time winners Saracens, two-time winners La Rochelle and 2020 champions Exeter Chiefs will battle it out alongside the Lions and Connacht, who return to the premier club competition for the first time since the 2023/24 season. Stuart Lancaster’s Connacht side face an especially demanding assignment against three clubs who have all lifted the trophy.
🚨𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔/𝟐𝟕… 𝐋𝐄𝐓’𝐒 𝐆𝐎!🚨
24 clubs, 4 pools, one objective… 🏆
Which games are you most looking forward to? 👇 pic.twitter.com/3cZCzH1TtC
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) July 1, 2026
Reigning champions Bordeaux-Begles headline Pool 3 alongside Munster, Racing 92, DHL Stormers, Bristol Bears and Gloucester. Clayton McMillan’s Munster will renew a rivalry with Gloucester that has produced some memorable European ties over the years, while also taking on the side that defeated Leinster in May’s Bilbao final to claim a second successive Champions Cup title.
Four-time champions and last season’s runners-up Leinster were the first club out of the drum and headline Pool 1, where they are drawn with Glasgow Warriors, Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers and ASM Clermont Auvergne. Leo Cullen’s final campaign as Leinster head coach will see him attempt to deliver a fifth European title for the province and end a sequence of five final defeats since their last success in 2018. Leicester and Clermont are familiar European opponents for Leinster, with both fixtures carrying significant history.
Pool 4 brings together Premiership rivals Northampton Saints and last season’s semi-finalists Bath, who contested a memorable quarter-final this season, alongside Cardiff, reigning Challenge Cup champions and Top 14 runners-up Montpellier, Stade Francais and the Vodacom Bulls. The two English sides will avoid each other during the pool stage under the draw rules preventing clubs from the same league from meeting in pool play.
Rule changes add jeopardy
EPCR confirmed two rule changes following consultation with the three leagues. The first tightens the qualification pathway into the knockout rounds. Previously, all four highest-ranked clubs in each pool qualified automatically for the Round of 16. From 2026/27, only the top three teams in each pool will earn automatic qualification. The remaining four places will go to the highest-ranked clubs across all pools regardless of pool position, creating a wildcard ranking system.
EPCR said the changes were “designed to enhance the competitiveness and intensity of the pool stage fixtures by enhancing the battle for qualification to the Round of 16, and ensuring matches stay competitive for longer.”
The second change overhauls the try bonus point system. The familiar four-try bonus point has been replaced by a new requirement: teams must score three or more tries more than their opponents to earn the offensive bonus point. The defensive bonus point for losing by seven points or fewer remains unchanged. EPCR said the purpose is to “reward teams who continue to play attacking rugby and who remain resolute in defence once victory appears certain, effectively ensuring tournament matches stay competitive for longer.”
The shift also means a team can deny their opponents a bonus point through strong defensive effort even in defeat, keeping the status of the offensive bonus uncertain until the final whistle. Combined with the tightened qualification rules, EPCR’s changes are designed to discourage teams from fielding weakened sides in away fixtures, a criticism that has surfaced in recent seasons where it was possible to qualify with just one pool win.
If two clubs are tied on match points, the number of wins will now be the first tiebreaker rather than points difference, a further incentive for teams to prioritise victories over building large scorelines.
Challenge Cup pools
In the EPCR Challenge Cup, invited South African side the Toyota Cheetahs were the first club out of the drum and went into Pool 1 alongside 2026 runners-up Ulster, USAP, last season’s semi-finalists Dragons RFC, Aviron Bayonnais and Zebre Parma. Richie Murphy’s Ulster reached the final in Bilbao this season only to fall to a heavy defeat against Montpellier.
𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔/𝟐𝟕 𝐏𝐎𝐎𝐋𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐌𝐄𝐃! 🔒🔥
The countdown is on for the 2026/27 EPCR #ChallengeCupRugby 🔜
Which games are you most looking forward to?👇 pic.twitter.com/y8kMusvBG1
— EPCR Challenge Cup (@ChallengeCup_) July 1, 2026
Pool 2 sees Benetton set to renew their rivalry with 2022 champions LOU Rugby after the sides also met in last season’s pool stages. They are joined by Newcastle Red Bulls, 2024 winners Hollywoodbets Sharks, Castres Olympique and Scarlets.
Pool 3 brings together Ospreys, Edinburgh, Georgia’s Black Lion, three-time Challenge Cup winners and the competition’s joint most successful club Harlequins, 2023 champions RC Toulon and RC Vannes, who return to the tournament after debuting in the 2024/25 season.
Black Lion and the Toyota Cheetahs were confirmed as the two invited clubs following a competitive tender process that attracted interest from multiple countries. Both clubs met EPCR’s participation criteria, including establishing a European home base.
Investec Champions Cup Pools
Pool 1: Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, Section Paloise, Sale Sharks, Leicester Tigers, ASM Clermont Auvergne
Pool 2: Stade Toulousain, Lions, Saracens, Stade Rochelais, Exeter Chiefs, Connacht
Pool 3: Union Bordeaux-Begles, DHL Stormers, Racing 92, Munster, Bristol Bears, Gloucester
Pool 4: Northampton Saints, Bath, Cardiff, Montpellier Herault Rugby, Stade Francais Paris, Vodacom Bulls
EPCR Challenge Cup Pools
Pool 1: Toyota Cheetahs, Ulster, USAP, Dragons RFC, Aviron Bayonnais, Zebre Parma
Pool 2: Benetton, LOU Rugby, Newcastle Red Bulls, Hollywoodbets Sharks, Castres Olympique, Scarlets
Pool 3: Ospreys, Edinburgh, Black Lion, Harlequins, RC Toulon, RC Vannes
2026/27 Match Weekends
Round 1: 16/17/18 October 2026
Round 2: 11/12/13 December 2026
Round 3: 8/9/10 January 2027
Round 4: 15/16/17 January 2027
Round of 16: 2/3/4 April 2027
Quarter-finals: 9/10/11 April 2027
Semi-finals: 30 April / 1/2 May 2027
EPCR Challenge Cup Final: Friday 21 May 2027, OL Stadium, Lyon
Investec Champions Cup Final: Saturday 22 May 2027, OL Stadium, Lyon
Champions Cup
Bordeaux destroy Leinster to retain Champions Cup crown
Bordeaux Begles scored five first-half tries to demolish Leinster 41-19 in the Champions Cup final in Bilbao and claim back-to-back European titles.
Published
5 months agoon
23rd May 2026
Union Bordeaux Begles retained the Investec Champions Cup with a ruthless 41-19 demolition of Leinster at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao, producing a devastating first-half performance that effectively ended the final as a contest before the interval. Five converted tries in 28 minutes of first-half rugby left Leinster trailing 35-7 at the break in front of a sold-out crowd of 52,327, and while Leo Cullen’s side showed resolve in the second half with two further tries, the damage had long since been done on a sweltering afternoon where temperatures hit 30C at half-time.
Key moments
8 mins – TRY LEINSTER: Patient build-up through 19 phases sees Leinster grind into the Bordeaux 22 with carries from Henshaw, Doris and van der Flier. Quick hands from Garry Ringrose release Tommy O’Brien to dive over in the right corner. Harry Byrne converts from the touchline. (Leinster 7-0 Bordeaux)
11 mins – DISALLOWED TRY BORDEAUX: Cameron Woki dives for the right corner after a flowing move sparked by Bielle-Biarrey and Uberti. On-field decision is a try, but TMO Marius van der Westhuizen rules Woki’s left arm brushed the touchline. Penalty advantage to Bordeaux.
14 mins – TRY BORDEAUX: From the penalty advantage, Bordeaux kick to the corner. Carlu Sadie takes a tap and go from five metres and captain Maxime Lucu spots a gap and snipes under the posts from close range. Lucu converts his own try. (Leinster 7-7 Bordeaux)
18 mins – TRY BORDEAUX: Byrne kicks the restart dead. From the scrum, Bielle-Biarrey’s chip brushes Hugo Keenan’s fingertips and rolls dead, giving Bordeaux a five-metre scrum. Playing on penalty advantage, Matthieu Jalibert finds Salesi Rayasi who feeds Pablo Uberti to score untouched on the right. Lucu converts. (Leinster 7-14 Bordeaux)
25 mins – TRY BORDEAUX: Sweeping move from right to left. Louis Bielle-Biarrey receives on the left wing and steps inside Thomas Clarkson and Jamison Gibson-Park to score. Lucu converts. (Leinster 7-21 Bordeaux)
29 mins – KNOCK-ON LEINSTER: Jack Conan drops the ball with Leinster camped on the Bordeaux five-metre line after a sustained attacking sequence. A crucial missed opportunity.
36 mins – TRY BORDEAUX: Jalibert’s kick is blocked down and Damian Penaud reacts quickest to the loose ball, grubbering through. The bounce defeats Gibson-Park and sits up perfectly for Bielle-Biarrey, who swerves past Keenan to score his second. Lucu converts. (Leinster 7-28 Bordeaux)
40+2 mins – TRY BORDEAUX: With Leinster chasing a lifeline before the break, Harry Byrne’s pass is intercepted by Yoram Moefana just outside his own 22. The centre sprints 60 metres to score under the posts unopposed. Lucu converts for a fifth time. (Leinster 7-35 Bordeaux)
Half-time: Leinster 7-35 Bordeaux. A devastating 28 minutes from Bordeaux after O’Brien’s opening try. Five converted tries, all from Lucu’s boot, leave Leinster needing the greatest comeback in Champions Cup final history. Bielle-Biarrey’s double and Moefana’s intercept the highlights. Leinster made five handling errors to Bordeaux’s one.
42 mins – YELLOW CARD BORDEAUX: Maxime Lucu sin-binned for a horse-collar grab on Joe McCarthy, pulling the Ireland lock by his hair. Frawley and Furlong on for Byrne and Clarkson.
46 mins – TRY LEINSTER: Leinster capitalise on Lucu’s absence with sustained pressure inside the Bordeaux 22. Joe McCarthy drives over from close range from a ruck. Ciaran Frawley’s conversion strikes the post. (Leinster 12-35 Bordeaux)
50 mins – INJURY: Cameron Woki is helped off the field in tears with what appears to be a serious injury. Standing ovation from the Bordeaux supporters. Temo Matiu replaces him.
51 mins – INTERCEPTION: Tommy O’Brien works a two-on-one overlap but his pass to Rieko Ioane is intercepted by Salesi Rayasi. A golden chance to close the gap goes begging.
59 mins – PENALTY BORDEAUX: Lucu, back from the sin bin, kicks a straightforward penalty after James Ryan is penalised for a high tackle on Jalibert. (Leinster 12-38 Bordeaux)
64 mins – PENALTY BORDEAUX: Lucu lands a remarkable penalty from just inside his own half. Seven from seven off the tee. (Leinster 12-41 Bordeaux)
71 mins – TRY LEINSTER: Garry Ringrose forces his way over after Robbie Henshaw’s neat short pass from a quickly taken penalty. Frawley converts. (Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux)
73 mins – YELLOW CARD BORDEAUX: Ugo Boniface shown yellow for a needless clearout on James Ryan at a ruck.
Full-time: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
For Leinster, it is a fifth defeat in a Champions Cup final since their last triumph at this very stadium in 2018, and by far the most painful. Their previous final losses to Saracens, La Rochelle (twice) and Toulouse were competitive matches decided on fine margins. This was nothing of the sort. Bordeaux, who had to beat the champions of France, England and the URC in consecutive knockout rounds to reach the final, became the first side in EPCR history to win back-to-back titles with an unbeaten record across two seasons, winning all 16 of their knockout and pool matches in that span. It was also France’s sixth consecutive Champions Cup title.
The opening exchanges gave little indication of what was to come. Hugo Keenan spilled Maxime Lucu’s first kick of the day within 25 seconds, hinting at early Leinster nerves, but the four-time champions recovered and started with intent. Jamison Gibson-Park’s intelligent kicking pinned Bordeaux inside their own territory and a maul turnover gave Leinster the platform to attack. Big carries from Robbie Henshaw, Caelan Doris and Josh van der Flier got them moving into the 22, and after 19 hard phases under the Bilbao heat it was quick hands from Garry Ringrose that sent Tommy O’Brien diving over in the right corner in the eighth minute. Harry Byrne landed an impressive touchline conversion from five metres in from the sideline and Leinster led 7-0.
It was the last time they would lead. Bordeaux’s response was immediate. Pablo Uberti made a surging break before the ball was swept wide to Cameron Woki, who dived for the right corner and appeared to ground the ball. However, TMO Marius van der Westhuizen overturned referee Karl Dickson’s on-field decision, ruling that Woki’s left arm had brushed the touchline. Bordeaux settled for the penalty advantage, kicked to the corner, and after Carlu Sadie’s five-metre tap and go set the tone, captain Lucu spotted a gap and sniped beautifully under the posts from close range in the 14th minute. He converted his own try to level the scores at 7-7.
What followed was a collapse that few could have predicted. Byrne kicked the restart dead, handing Bordeaux a scrum on halfway. Then came another contentious moment. Bielle-Biarrey’s chip over the Leinster defensive line ran over the dead ball line, but the TMO determined that Keenan had got the slightest of fingertip touches to the ball, giving Bordeaux a five-metre scrum rather than a goal-line dropout. Playing on penalty advantage from the resulting set piece, Bordeaux shifted the ball wide through Matthieu Jalibert, who found Salesi Rayasi with a perfectly weighted pass before the full-back fed Uberti, who ran in untouched. Lucu’s conversion made it 14-7 in the 18th minute. Two tries in four minutes and Leinster were suddenly chasing the game.
A water break at the end of the first quarter could not settle Leinster down. The tournament’s outstanding wing then took centre stage. Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who would later be named Player of the Tournament, scored twice in 11 minutes to put the result beyond doubt. His first, in the 25th minute, came at the end of a sweeping move. Bordeaux moved the ball wide to the right touchline before coming straight back to the left, and Bielle-Biarrey stepped inside Thomas Clarkson and Gibson-Park to finish with the devastating footwork that has made him the most feared attacking player in European rugby. Lucu’s third conversion made it 21-7 with barely 25 minutes played.
Leinster came back down the pitch to earn a five-metre scrum in prime attacking position, but after a sustained block of phases Jack Conan knocked on, to an eruption of noise from the Bordeaux supporters. It was the province’s fifth handling error of the half, compared to just one for their opponents.
With five minutes left in the half, Bordeaux went for the knockout. Damian Penaud was quickest to react to a loose ball after Jalibert’s kick was blocked down, and his grubber bounced perfectly away from Gibson-Park and into the path of Bielle-Biarrey, who swerved past Keenan to score his second try and his 34th of the season in 30 games for club and country. Lucu’s fourth conversion made it 28-7.
The final blow before the break was self-inflicted. With Leinster pushing for a try that might have offered a lifeline, Byrne’s pass was intercepted by Yoram Moefana just outside his own 22. The centre had made a perfect defensive read and sprinted 60 metres to score under the posts unopposed, and Lucu’s fifth conversion from five attempts made it 35-7 at the interval. As Moefana touched down, Lucu turned to face the bank of Bordeaux supporters behind the goal, arms raised. The game was over. Bordeaux had equalled the record of five tries in a Champions Cup final, and they had done it inside 40 minutes.
“We’ve given away things just a little bit cheaply,” Cullen said of the first-half collapse. “On one hand, it’s an amazing thing to be part of, but on the disappointing side, I think there’s frustration there that we’ve created lots of opportunities in the game and haven’t been anywhere near as clinical as we would have liked to have been.”
Leinster at least came out with purpose after the break. Within two minutes of the restart, Lucu was sin-binned for a horse-collar grab on Joe McCarthy, the Bordeaux captain pulling the Ireland lock by his hair to drag him to the ground. Frawley replaced Byrne at fly-half and Tadhg Furlong came on for Thomas Clarkson as Cullen looked to inject new energy. Rieko Ioane sparked to life with a powerful break through the midfield and Leinster camped inside the Bordeaux 22. McCarthy dived over from close range from a ruck in the 46th minute for Leinster’s second try, though Frawley’s conversion struck the post. At 35-12, the deficit remained 23 points.
Leinster had a golden opportunity to score again moments later when O’Brien worked his way into a two-on-one overlap, but his pass to Ioane was intercepted by Rayasi to deny what would have been a crucial try before Lucu’s return from the sin bin. The Bordeaux captain re-emerged to a hero’s reception and promptly went back to work, kicking a penalty after James Ryan was penalised for a high tackle on Jalibert. A second penalty soon followed, a remarkable effort from just inside his own half, to extend the lead to 41-12 and extinguish any remaining hope.
Ben Tameifuna, introduced at tighthead after the break, was making his considerable presence felt, winning two turnovers to break up Leinster’s attacking momentum at critical moments. “Today, we played a perfect match,” Tameifuna said afterwards. “We wanted to play fast when we wanted to, and then we wanted to slow it down. So that was huge for the team.”
Cameron Woki’s departure in tears on the 50th minute was a sour note for the champions. The back-rower, who had been immense throughout the tournament, received a standing ovation from the Bordeaux supporters as he was helped from the field by physios. Temo Matiu, who had earlier replaced Pierre Bochaton for a brief stint, came back on permanently in Woki’s place.
Ringrose scored a consolation try in the 71st minute, forcing his way over after Henshaw’s neat short pass from a quickly taken penalty, and Frawley converted to make it 19-41. Replacement loosehead Ugo Boniface was then shown yellow for a needless clearout on Ryan at a ruck, but it did little to dampen the celebrations. Max Deegan made a strong carry evading Lucu’s tackle in the closing stages and Luke McGrath tried to generate pace, but Moefana timed another interception to perfection near the Bordeaux line, and the final minutes drifted away to a chorus of French celebration.
Lucu finished with a try, five conversions and two penalties for a personal haul of 19 points and was named Player of the Match for a second consecutive Champions Cup final. His kicking was faultless – seven from seven – and his control of the game from scrum-half allowed Bordeaux’s attack, coached by Clare native Noel McNamara, to operate at full throttle. The Leinster stats told their own story: 162 carries to Bordeaux’s 104 and the edge in both possession and territory, yet they lost 24 turnovers and could not convert pressure into points when it mattered.
“You have to credit them. Some of their attack in the first half was incredibly hard to deal with,” Leinster captain Doris said. “We left ourselves too tall a mountain to climb. Proud of the effort of our boys in the second half, trying to climb back. But we left ourselves a little too much to do.”
Cullen insisted his side were not a million miles away despite the scoreline. “It’s not like we’re a million miles away. I know there’s a decent gap in the scoreline today but I think if you reflect upon what’s gone on in the game, the stats in the game, that would maybe be a bit of a reflection in terms of how clinical Bordeaux were. The speed with the way they do things is very impressive. That’s the bit we need to get after.”
Asked whether reaching another final only to lose constituted failure, Cullen was philosophical. “If you lose a final, is that failure? Listen, you can have that argument. It’s failure for us today because we had strong ambitions to try to win the game. We weren’t good enough today. But nothing stays the same forever in sport, does it?”
McNamara, who once headed the Leinster academy and guided the Ireland Under-20s, revealed the squad had drawn inspiration from Rory McIlroy’s Masters victory in their pursuit of consecutive titles. “We spoke of not being a fleeting star, of making our star shine,” McNamara said. “One thing the players are very proud of is the route we took to do that – Leicester Tigers in the round of 16, Toulouse, Bath and today a fantastic URC champion in Leinster.”
Bielle-Biarrey, accepting his Player of the Tournament award, was characteristically humble. “It’s really special, but I’m a winger – if the forwards don’t do a great job, the backs don’t do a good job too. I don’t get good ball. It’s because of them I can be player of the year this year,” the 22-year-old said. His 10 tries across the tournament capped a remarkable campaign that also saw him named Player of the Six Nations, with 34 tries in 30 games for club and country this season.
Tameifuna, meanwhile, paid tribute to his captain. “What a leader. He’s not the biggest player, but he definitely shows up with heart. He puts his body on the line, and I’m grateful to have a player like that on our team,” he said before warning that celebrations would be intense. “It’s going to be a rough couple of days.”
For Leinster, the focus must now shift quickly to a URC quarter-final against the Lions next Saturday. Doris acknowledged some players will be moving on but vowed the province would return. “We’re going to stay together. There’s a special group of boys there. No doubt we’ll be back better again next year.” Bordeaux, meanwhile, can savour their status as the dominant force in European club rugby and will attempt to emulate Toulon’s 2013-15 run with a third successive title next season. At this precise moment, few would bet against them.
Scorers:
Leinster: Tries: O’Brien (8), McCarthy (46), Ringrose (71). Cons: Byrne (9), Frawley (71).
Bordeaux Begles: Tries: Lucu (14), Uberti (18), Bielle-Biarrey (25, 36), Moefana (40+2). Cons: Lucu (5). Pens: Lucu (59, 64).
Yellow cards: Lucu (Bordeaux, 42), Boniface (Bordeaux, 73).
Leinster: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O’Brien, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Rieko Ioane; Harry Byrne, Jamison Gibson-Park; Andrew Porter, Dan Sheehan, Thomas Clarkson; Joe McCarthy, James Ryan; Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Ronan Kelleher (for Sheehan, 53), Paddy McCarthy (for Porter, 63), Tadhg Furlong (for Clarkson, 44), Diarmuid Mangan (for J McCarthy, 73), Max Deegan (for Conan, 59), Luke McGrath (for Gibson-Park, 74), Ciaran Frawley (for Byrne, 44), Jamie Osborne (for Henshaw, 51).
Bordeaux Begles: Salesi Rayasi; Pablo Uberti, Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu (capt); Jefferson Poirot, Maxime Lamothe, Carlu Sadie; Boris Palu, Adam Coleman; Pierre Bochaton, Cameron Woki, Marko Gazzotti.
Replacements: Gaetan Barlot (for Lamothe, 54), Ugo Boniface (for Poirot, 48), Ben Tameifuna (for Sadie, 48), Lachlan Swinton (for Coleman, 41), Temo Matiu (for Bochaton, 10-17, for Woki, 50), Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer (for Gazzotti, 54), Arthur Retiere (for Uberti, 63), Hugo Reus (for Jalibert, 70).
Match details: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao. Attendance: 52,327. Saturday 23 May 2026, 2.45pm (Irish time) / 3.45pm (local time). Referee: Karl Dickson (England). Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Hollie Davidson (Scotland). TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa). Player of the Match: Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux Begles). Player of the Tournament: Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux Begles).
Champions Cup
O’Brien starts as Leinster name unchanged XV for European final
Leinster have named an unchanged starting XV from their semi-final win over Toulon for the Investec Champions Cup final against Bordeaux Bègles in Bilbao.
Published
5 months agoon
22nd May 2026
Leo Cullen has named an unchanged starting XV for tomorrow’s Investec Champions Cup final against Bordeaux Bègles at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, backing the same fifteen that secured a 29-25 semi-final victory over Toulon. While the starting line-up remains untouched, there are five changes to the replacements, with Ireland loosehead Paddy McCarthy available for the first time since January following foot surgery.
Key team news:
- Tommy O’Brien has been passed fit to start on the right wing after withdrawing from last week’s URC win over the Ospreys
- Paddy McCarthy returns to the bench for his first appearance since injuring his foot against La Rochelle in January
- Tadhg Furlong is named among the replacements, with Thomas Clarkson retaining the starting tighthead spot
- Ciarán Frawley replaces Sam Prendergast on the bench, with James Lowe missing out on the matchday 23 entirely
- Diarmuid Mangan and Max Deegan come in for Alex Soroka and Scott Penny among the forward replacements
- Unchanged starting XV from the semi-final win over Toulon
The fitness of O’Brien had been a concern this week after the Ireland wing was forced to withdraw from the Ospreys match before kick-off, but he has come through the captain’s run at San Mamés and takes his place on the right wing. All Black Rieko Ioane continues on the left, with Hugo Keenan at full-back. The selection means James Lowe, who returned from injury last week, Jordan Larmour and Jimmy O’Brien all miss the matchday 23, with Jamie Osborne the only outside-back cover on the bench.
Cullen has placed his trust in Clarkson at tighthead after the 22-year-old’s impressive form throughout the season. The Leinster prop has played more minutes than any other tighthead at the province this campaign and was nominated for the supporters’ player of the season award. Furlong, who has dealt with injury issues throughout the year, provides considerable experience from the bench alongside Rónan Kelleher and the returning McCarthy, giving Leinster a formidable front-row reload for the second half.
The back row of Jack Conan, Josh van der Flier and captain Caelan Doris is unchanged, as is the second-row partnership of Joe McCarthy and James Ryan. Jamison Gibson-Park and Harry Byrne continue at half-back, with Sam Prendergast the notable omission. Frawley’s greater versatility across the backline has earned him the nod as the bench playmaker, with Luke McGrath providing scrum-half cover.
The centre partnership of Robbie Henshaw and Garry Ringrose carries a sense of occasion. The pair started together in the 2018 Champions Cup final at this very stadium, when Leinster beat Racing 92 15-12 to claim their fourth European title. Cullen will be hoping for a similarly successful outcome as his side chase a fifth star, having lost their previous three finals to La Rochelle (twice) and Toulouse.
This will be Leinster’s fourth final in five years and their ninth overall. Both sides have won all their matches in this season’s competition, with Leinster seeing off Edinburgh, Sale Sharks and Toulon in the knockout rounds, all at home. They will now face a very different challenge in Bilbao, where temperatures are expected to reach 30°C for the 2.45pm Irish time kick-off. EPCR are monitoring the Heat Stress Index and may introduce three-minute water breaks during the match.
Bordeaux enter as defending champions and tournament favourites, having scored the most tries, most points and made the most clean breaks in this season’s competition. The final promises to be an intriguing tactical battle between Leinster’s renowned blitz defence and the free-scoring backline of the French champions.
Leinster starting XV:
15. Hugo Keenan (82 caps)
14. Tommy O’Brien (60 caps)
13. Garry Ringrose (148 caps)
12. Robbie Henshaw (120 caps)
11. Rieko Ioane (14 caps)
10. Harry Byrne (90 caps)
9. Jamison Gibson-Park (170 caps)
1. Andrew Porter (147 caps)
2. Dan Sheehan (86 caps)
3. Thomas Clarkson (76 caps)
4. Joe McCarthy (62 caps)
5. James Ryan (108 caps)
6. Jack Conan (177 caps)
7. Josh van der Flier (172 caps)
8. Caelan Doris (105 caps) – captain
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher (92 caps)
17. Paddy McCarthy (15 caps)
18. Tadhg Furlong (165 caps)
19. Diarmuid Mangan (27 caps)
20. Max Deegan (157 caps)
21. Luke McGrath (253 caps)
22. Ciarán Frawley (122 caps)
23. Jamie Osborne (73 caps)
Match details: Leinster v Union Bordeaux Bègles, San Mamés Stadium, Bilbao. Saturday 23 May, 2.45pm (Irish time) / 3.45pm (local time). Live on Premier Sports 1 and ITV4. Referee: Karl Dickson (RFU).
