Top-class stuff. Russell misses the conversion from out wide.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.43 EDT<\/p>\n 25 min: Pressure on the Bordeaux line. Barbeary thinks he has the ball down but the ref says no. Still it\u2019s a penalty and Amashukeli tells Lucu the next infringement under pressure will be a yellow card \u2026 the ball pops up kindly for Bordeaux next and Lucu can hammer a clearing kick downfield.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min: Lawrence offers a lovely pop pass to his centre colleague Hennessy, who roars through the defensive line and arrows towards the right corner! Bielle-Biarrey is on the case and drags him down, obviously no one is beating him for pace. Was there a high tackle by a Bordeaux player by Barbeary there after Bath<\/a> recycled and went for the line? Looks like a shoulder into the head by (I think) Adam Coleman. This could even be a red card \u2026 but no. The ref, Nika Amashukeli, says no clear head contact. That looks debatable.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.44 EDT<\/p>\n 20 min: Bath<\/a> work a few phases around halfway. Barbeary tries to use his considerable heft with a strong carry but is stopped dead. Then it\u2019s back to basics with a box kick from Spencer. It\u2019s a good chance for Bath, into their opponents\u2019 22, but Du Toit is penalised for holding on, Lucu burrowing away over the ball and trying to effect the turnover. He gets the penalty. A big waste \u2013 and Bath need to sharpen up at both ends of the pitch. Jalibert chooses to belt the penalty straight down field and chase it. Cameron Woki leads the chase. It\u2019s all happening.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.34 EDT<\/p>\n 19 min: On commentary duty, Dallaglio reckons Bath<\/a> need to up their work-rate in defence. It\u2019s all hands on deck, that\u2019s for sure. The second try came from a knock-on I think by Arundell and a penalty that came after.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.30 EDT<\/p>\n Try! 15 min: Bordeaux 14-7 Bath (Bielle-Biarrey)<\/p>\n Another relatively soft concession from a Bath<\/a> point of view sees the France international flyer touch down on the Bordeaux left. It\u2019s a simple numbers game when Lucu\u2019s pass to Jalibert takes plenty of defenders out, and Bath simply run out of bodies on their right flank. The ruthlessly clinical nature of these opponents has shone through twice in the first quarter of an hour. Lucu nails the kick for the extra two having almost run out of time.<\/p>\n Louis Bielle-Biarrey restores the lead for Bordeaux. Photograph: Romain Perrocheau\/AFP\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.45 EDT<\/p>\n 15 min: UBB pass up a penalty and kick for the corner. Moefana snipes again and the fans want a penalty for a high tackle \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 13 min: Moefana snipes down the middle with power and determination. Then Jalibert pouches a pass and jinks inside a would-be tackler with his customary class. Lots of questions being asked of the Bath<\/a> defence, not that they expected anything else.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.25 EDT<\/p>\n 10 min: A fine recovery from Bath<\/a> after a worrying start with the concession of a soft try. Now Jalibert puts up a high kick from the Bordeaux 22. Spencer returns the favour. Then Bordeaux kick again \u2013 and when Russell finds Carreras, he burns down the left wing with a lovely arcing run. Bath move the ball cross-field but are penalised for offside and UBB can clear their lines.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.23 EDT<\/p>\n Try! 8 min: Bordeaux 7-7 Bath (Muir)<\/p>\n Stunning score! Arundell initially claims a cross-kick on the right wing \u2026 Bath<\/a> bash away for a few phases near the line, then the scrum-half Spencer smacks a brilliant high kick from right to left, back to where they took the lineout, and Will Muir has masses of space to catch it and touch down. Russell converts via a post!<\/p>\n Will Muir goes over for Bath. Photograph: David Rogers\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.29 EDT<\/p>\n 5 min: A chance for Bath<\/a> to gather themselves. Spencer puts in a good kick behind the Bordeaux defence which has Jalibert et al back-pedalling. Then it\u2019s Carreras involved as Bath set up an immediate chance to strike back with a lineout in the corner, on their left.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.18 EDT<\/p>\n Try! 2 min: Bordeaux 7-0 Bath (Gazzotti)<\/p>\n Bordeaux work the ball left to right and make some juddering hits up the middle with ball in hand after initially driving a maul a few metres. Looks like their power is telling immediately. Suddenly the ball is worked back to the left wing. Penaud sprints into space and Bath\u2019s defence is nowhere. The No 8 Marko Gazzotti smashes over. Maxime Lucu adds the extras. Worrying start for Bath<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.16 EDT<\/p>\n 2 min: Both teams have gone for a 6-2 split forwards to backs on their bench. Bordeaux enjoy some early possession and make inroads with their early phases \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a>First half kick-off!<\/p>\n Barbeary spills the kick-off, but gets away with it. Bath<\/a> secure possession after his error and Ben Spencer box-kicks from their 22. The sun is out after the pre-match deluge.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.12 EDT<\/p>\n Here we go then. The teams are the pitch at Stade Atlantique. The rain has cleared. And the atmosphere looks special \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a> There\u2019s been a bit of rain around prior to kick-off on a sultry Sunday beside the Garonne but inside the stadium the atmosphere is warming up nicely … UBB\u2019s fan base are out in force and vastly outnumbering Bath\u2019s travelling support, several of whom were on early-bird flights over from Gatwick and Luton … big games like this don\u2019t come around too often and the 10-minute delayed kick off has further cranked up the expectation levels. Pre-game music not bad either – \u2019What Am I\u2019 by Guinny<\/a>, anyone? Here\u2019s hoping the game lives up to this week\u2019s drum roll build-up … recent Anglo-French rugby contests have set a high bar.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Now for an update from Robert Kitson, our rugby correspondent, who is on the scene in France \u2026<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cKick-off delayed due to lightning strikes near the stadium,\u201d emails Mark Hayden. \u201c\u2026 according to French TV.\u201d<\/p>\n Thanks for letting us know Mark. Enjoy the game.<\/p>\n Finn Russell and Johann Van Graan. Photograph: Lionel Hahn\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.10 EDT<\/p>\n It\u2019s a veritable smorgasbord of live sport today. Lots more to enjoy across the site at the moment:<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI back the away team \u2026 I love the underdog,\u201d says pundit Lawrence Dallaglio, backing Bath<\/a> for a famous win in their first European semi-final for two decades. \u201cThey\u2019ve got to stand up today.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Kick-off delayed until 3.10pm BST \/ 4.10pm CET<\/p>\n Kick-off has been delayed by 10 minutes. Martin Bayfield on Premier Sports says they are not sure why, but there it is.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.54 EDT<\/p>\n There are in truth few Bordeaux B\u00e8gles<\/a> players better qualified to explain just how it feels to be in the eye of the storm with European rugby\u2019s newest force than Adam Coleman. Three years ago their paths collided with almost perfect timing, with Bordeaux mid-table and Coleman unceremoniously dropped into rugby purgatory.<\/p>\n Coleman\u2019s career looked to be over when London Irish went out of business<\/a> in the summer of 2023 before a move to France with Bordeaux. It has proved to be an inspired decision for both parties, with Coleman playing a pivotal role in UBB\u2019s rise to the top of the club game, culminating in their Champions Cup final triumph over Northampton<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.46 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019ve got some incredible players scattered across their whole team \u2026 as do we,\u201d Ollie Lawrence tells Premier Sports. (I knew someone would say it.)<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re probably thinking \u2013 how do they stop Finn Russell or Thomas du Toit?<\/p>\n \u201cWe respect them, but we don\u2019t fear them.\u201d<\/p>\n All the classics.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.47 EDT<\/p>\n How have I made it this far without mentioning the looming battle between Mathieu Jalibert v Finn Russell at fly-half? Not entirely sure.<\/p>\n Anyway, you can email me if you wish<\/a>.<\/p>\n Share<\/a> The shortlist for this year\u2019s Champions Cup<\/a> player of the year award is an eyecatching one. There are five contenders and four of them \u2013 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Finn Russell, Matthieu Jalibert and Caelan Doris \u2013 are established world-class operators. So who is the fifth Beatle? An uncapped Englishman who eats only toast on matchdays and is arguably most famous for parading around in his budgie smugglers.<\/p>\n Step forward Alfie Barbeary, the shaggy-haired Bath colossus looking to smash a few holes in Bordeaux B\u00e8gles\u2019 title defence at the Stade Atlantique on Sunday. The 25-year-old Barbeary might not yet be a connoisseur of the region\u2019s celebrated wines \u2013 \u201cI know there\u2019s red and white but that\u2019s about it\u201d \u2013 but he makes up for that in other respects. Some people are born entertainers and the big No 8 is definitely one of them.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.42 EDT<\/p>\n It is absolutely bucketing down in Bordeaux right now. Will it be tactical kicking and \u201cup the jumper\u201d? Nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Noel McNamara, Bordeaux\u2019s attack coach, mentions Rory McIlroy and his breakthrough win at the Masters last year, comparing it to Bordeaux getting over the line in Europe last season.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cBuzzing. Amazing,\u201d says the Bath<\/a> flanker Miles Reid of today\u2019s occasion. He starts on the bench. \u201cThey have huge threats. They\u2019ve got speed, they\u2019re good on their snap attack when they turn over ball. We\u2019re ready for the challenge and buzzing for it. It will be a 23-man game. How many games have we won at the end? It\u2019s down to the 23. Just buzzing to get out here today. The breakdown\u2019s massive. They\u2019ve got threats over the ball, as do we: that\u2019s my area today, really.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.31 EDT<\/p>\n Watch out for Ted Hill off the Bath<\/a> bench, an absolute machine, plus Sam Underhill and the 20-year-old Kepu Tuipulotu. The starting back row \u2013 Josh Bayliss, Guy Pepper and Alfie Barbeary \u2013 will of course be key to their hopes. Santi Carreras at full-back and Henry Arundell on the wing \u2026 this is exciting.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.30 EDT<\/p>\n Two of the more obvious players to look out for on Bordeaux\u2019s team are Louis Bielle-Biarrey<\/a> [who scored nine tries in this year\u2019s Six Nations] and the No 13 Damian Penaud, but there is quality wherever you look. Ben Tameifuna will be impossible to miss when he comes off the bench: the giant Tonga international made a massive impact late in the quarter-final against Toulouse.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a010.23 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cBe ourselves. Enjoy the moment. Grab the moment,\u201d says Van Graan, the Bath<\/a> head coach, speaking to Premier Sports. \u201cTwo fantastic teams \u2026 it\u2019s the first for us in many years. Ultimately, it remains a game of rugby. We\u2019re going to enjoy ourselves today.\u201d<\/p>\n On the South Africa prop Thomas du Toit, who starts for just the fifth time in 18 appearances this season (a handy stat from reporter Claire Thomas):<\/p>\n \u201cThomas is the man for the big occasion in the scrum \u2026 we want to play the game on our terms \u2026 one of those terms was that Thomas starts \u2026 he\u2019ll have a massive part to play, but so will 22 others. This will not be won by a single person \u2026 we believe we\u2019ve got a great opportunity today.\u201d<\/p>\n And also Louis Hennessy, a notable selection at outside-centre:<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got some fantastic centres \u2026 Louis was great on the wing the last two weekends \u2026 he\u2019s been knocking on the door and we believe he\u2019s the best option for today.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Two frankly ridiculous teams and matchday squads. I haven\u2019t seen any of the buildup, but surely someone said: \u201cThey\u2019ve got great players, but so have we.\u201d ?<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Teams<\/p>\n Bordeaux B\u00e8gles: Rayasi, Uberti, Penaud, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey, Jalibert, Lucu (capt.), Perchaud, Lamothe, Sadie, Palu, Coleman, Bochaton, Woki, Gazzotti. Replacements: Barlot, Boniface, Tameifuna, Cazeaux, Vergnes-Taillefer, Matiu, Retiere, Reus.<\/p>\n Bath: Carreras, Arundell, Hennessey, Lawrence, Muir, Russell, Spencer (capt.), Obano, Dunn, Du Toit, Roux, Ewels, Bayliss, Pepper, Barbeary. Replacements: Tuipulotu, Van Wyk, Sela, Hill, Underhill, Carr-Smith, Glanville, Reid.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a009.11 EDT<\/p>\n Preamble<\/p>\n Both these teams emerged from enthralling quarter-finals. If you like tries and lots of indifferent defending, then Bath 43-41 Northampton<\/a> was a classic. If two world-class teams hammering each other for 80 minutes and mostly refusing to give an inch is more your thing, Bordeaux 30-15 Toulouse was by far the superior match.<\/p>\n That sensational encounter last-eight encounter at Stade Chaban Delmas, complete with a life-affirming festival atmosphere only seen in French rugby, disposed of one of the Top 14 heavyweights. Now the reigning European champions Bordeaux<\/a> stand between Johann van Graan\u2019s Bath and a place in the final against Leinster<\/a>, in Bilbao on 23 May.<\/p>\n Bath\u2019s deep squad is the envy of much of the Prem and they are well-versed in crushing domestic opponents with power off the bench. But if any side is likely to pull that trick today, it is surely Bordeaux. All things being more or less equal, the benches are going will ultimately decide what should be a pulsating affair in south-west France.<\/p>\n Kick-off: 3pm BST<\/p>\n![\"Robert](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Robert-Kitson,-L.png\")
Robert Kitson<\/p>\n![\"Aaron](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Aaron_Bower.png\")
Aaron Bower<\/p>\nRobert Kitson<\/p>\n