CARDIFF -Bordeaux Begles were crowned kings of Europe for the first time on Saturday when they combined rapier finishing with relentless forward power to beat Northampton 28-20 in a tense and often chaotic Champions Cup final at the Principality Stadium.
Two tries for Damian Penaud and one for Adam Coleman had the French side ahead, but Alex Coles followed his third-minute score with another in the 40th to make it 20-20 at halftime.
Bordeaux, appearing in the final for the first time, tightened the screw in the second half and their forward power and driving mauls allowed them to forge eight points clear after a Cyril Cazeaux try and a penalty for man of the match scrumhalf Maxime Lucu.
Northampton showed admirable spirit to stay in the game but were unable to conjure the attacking backline moves that swept them to the final and instead the title went to France for the fifth year in a row.
“I am very proud of this team. This competition is very difficult. This is so emotional,” Penaud told Premier Sports after being crowned the competition’s player of the season.
Northampton captain Fraser Dingwall said the day’s setbacks summed up the club’s season.
“We were never going to go away but we gave them too many opportunities,” he said. “It’s frustrating when it comes down to small margins. We stayed in there and forced turnovers but against good teams you can’t keep giving them chances.”
Northampton, struggling in eighth place in the Premiership in a disappointing defence of their title, overcame an injury-hit build-up to fly out of the blocks as Coles forced himself over for the opening try.
They then suffered a double setback as winger James Ramm and fullback George Furbank went off injured in the first five minutes.
After a lengthy delay, Bordeaux struck back through Penaud as he stretched his own record for tries in the tournament in one season to 13.
He then combined with his wing partner Louis Bielle-Biarrey for a brilliant try only for it to be scrubbed off for a forward pass, but a superb jinking run by Matthieu Jalibert then sent lock Coleman over.
Bordeaux lost flanker Mahamadou Diaby to the sin bin for a high hit but the referee soon levelled things up with a yellow card for Tommy Freeman for a tackle in the air.
Penaud got an opportunistic second after a turnover almost on the Northampton line, but the English team finally showed the crisp handling that swept them past Leinster in the semis to send Coles over for his second.
Smith converted brilliantly from the touchline to make it 20-20 at the end of a half full of mayhem.
Henry Pollock, who had a first-half try ruled out for offside, crossed at the start of the second but the 20-year-old’s joy was again short-lived after Coles was penalised for obstruction.
Northampton then suffered another head contact yellow card for Ed Prowse, briefly reducing them to 13 and gifting a penalty. Scrumhalf and captain Lucu took over the kicking duties and duly nailed it.
Northampton defended their line with huge spirit but Bordeaux’s pressure eventually paid off as Cazeaux drove over for a 28-20 lead.
Northampton continued to give everything but struggled to get out of their own half.
For their fans who remembered the 2011 final when they blew a 22-6 halftime lead to lose 33-22 to Leinster, it was a horribly familiar feeling as Bordeaux doubled down on their reputation as the strongest finishers in France.
It earned them a first major trophy since the club were founded in 2006 via the merger of Stade Bordelais and Begles and promoted to France’s top 14 in 2011.
They currently sit second in the league, now dreaming of a double.
Bordeaux’s victory also levelled the score in Anglo-French finals this weekend after Bath beat Lyon in the Challenge Cup final on Friday.
