{"id":463482,"date":"2026-05-23T14:13:14","date_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:13:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/463482\/"},"modified":"2026-05-23T14:13:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-23T14:13:14","slug":"leinster-v-bordeaux-begles-live-updates-follow-the-action-in-champions-cup-final-the-irish-times","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/463482\/","title":{"rendered":"Leinster v Bordeaux B\u00e8gles live updates: Follow the action in Champions Cup final \u2013 The Irish Times"},"content":{"rendered":"

Champions Cup final: Leinster 7 Bordeaux B\u00e8gles 14<\/p>\n

22 mins: Fine margins for Leinster, Keenan\u2019s fingertip the difference from a chance for Leinster to conceding the try. Need to stay in it now for a while given Bordeaux\u2019s attacking power.<\/p>\n

18 mins: A mistake by Byrne from the kick-off as he kicks it straight out on the end line. Then Bielle-Biarrey does the same, kicks it out the end line. Or so it appeared, as Keenan got a slight touch on it. Harsh, but now it\u2019s a five-metre scrum, some difference.<\/p>\n

Try for Bordeaux! So hard to stop. From the scrum, Jalibert with a nice pass to Rayasi, then to Uberti on the wing. Perfectly played passes at the right time. Lucu scores the conversion.<\/p>\n

Leinster 7 Bordeaux 14<\/p>\n

15 mins: Try for Bordeaux! Lucu scores after the French side tapped and went from the penalty. Just too much pressure to stop and then the scrumhalf quickly accelerates and touches down under the posts. Easy conversion and we\u2019re back level.<\/p>\n

Leinster 7 Bordeaux 7<\/p>\n

\"UnionUnion Bordeaux Begles\u2019 Maxime Lucu celebrates with Temo Matiu after he scores his sides 1st try of the match. Photograph: James Crombie\/Inpho <\/p>\n

13 mins: Still a chance for Bordeaux with a penalty advantage and Leinster under pressure as it\u2019s a lineout and then back to five metres. Leinster penalised again for offside and they\u2019re hanging on.<\/p>\n

12 mins: Bordeaux immediately respond, they get around Leinster\u2019s rush defence and feed Bielle-Biarrey, who is barely stopped, then they pass to the other touchline where Woki is waiting to score on the wing. TMO check to see if he kept his feet out of touch. Looks like his hand may have hit the line.<\/p>\n

No try for Bordeaux! Exceptional tackle by Byrne to get him out, looked destined to score. Only a fraction of a second between his hand hitting and the ball hitting.<\/p>\n

Leinster 7 Bordeaux 0<\/p>\n

9 mins: Try for Leinster! Patience reward for Leinster. Gibson-Park found a gap and gained five metres to the five-metre line. Ringrose was smashed and the attack was tight. But after many more phases, Harry Byrne hits a sharp pass to Tommy O\u2019Brien on the wing who scores! Then Byrne hits a fine conversion from near the sideline.<\/p>\n

Leinster 7 Bordeaux 0<\/p>\n

7 mins: From the lineout, Leinster manage to turn the ball over, aided by Clarkson. Leinster scrum within the 22. Scrum okay for Leinster and keep the ball for several phases, gradual ground being made. <\/p>\n

5 mins: Serious sunshine and heat in Bilbao, with half the pitch under shadow in the second half. Jalibert kicks into touch and they have a defensive lineout from the sunny part. Good throw though by Dan Sheehan and solid exit, kicked far by Gibson-Park.<\/p>\n

2 mins: A first mistake of the day and not someone you\u2019d expect it from, Hugo Keenan, although might be a bit rusty after injury. He drops the ball and it\u2019s a scrum for Bordeaux but Leinster turn over the ball and then Gibson-Park clears.<\/p>\n

The teams are ready to come on the pitch. Here are the starting teams again:<\/p>\n

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O\u2019Brien, 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).<\/p>\n

BORDEAUX: Salesi Rayasi; Pablo Uberti, Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu (capt); Jefferson Poirot, Maxime Lamothe, Carl\u00fc Sadie; Boris Palu, Adam Coleman; Pierre Bochaton, Cameron Woki, Marko Gazzotti.<\/p>\n

And a final read before the game, where it will be won and lost, by Nathan Johns. Bordeaux\u2019s attack, featuring the great Louis Bielle-Biarrey will need to be severely limited.<\/p>\n

\u201cBordeaux\u2019s attack is good, we all know that. But just how good? They\u2019ve average 6.4 tries per game in this year\u2019s Champions Cup, 43.6 points, 537.4 metres, 34.3 defenders beaten, 17 clean breaks and 15 offloads. All of those numbers are a good bit better than Leinster\u2019s equivalents.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey do this by playing largely without the ball, averaging 10 fewer carries and 30 fewer passes per game than Leinster in this year\u2019s competition. Across their quarter- and semi-final victories over Toulouse and Bath combined, Bordeaux\u2019s opponents made 85 more carries. When they have possession, UBB are mighty efficient.<\/p>\n

\u201cHow? In part thanks to their famed transition. When they get the ball back off a turnover or kick, they can strike quickly. Attack coach McNamara hunts the famed zero-ruck try.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is largely why Matthieu Jalibert leads the Champions Cup for defenders beaten (34), why Louis Bielle-Biarrey is the top try-scorer (eight) and Salesi Rayasi isn\u2019t far behind in third (seven). They average 15 offloads per game (compared to Leinster\u2019s 6.9), avoiding rucks that give defenders a chance to slow down their ball. They\u2019ve scored 16 tries in transition and five from restarts this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Where the Champions Cup final between Leinster and Bordeaux will be won and lostOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Here is Gerry Thornley\u2019s preview of today\u2019s game:<\/p>\n

\u201cForget any pining for an all-French affair. The Champions Cup<\/a> has the final it deserves and, of course, the one it should have had last year. Leinster<\/a> are back in a ninth final and seeking a fifth title by dethroning the holders. Whoever lifts the trophy will have earned it.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt will likely be a very intense, fluctuating and close encounter.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Leinster need to find Champions Cup performance for the ages to dethrone Bordeaux B\u00e8glesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"LeinsterLeinster fans ahead of the match. Photograph: Nick Elliott\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Some fans photos as supporters head to the game:<\/p>\n

\"LeinsterLeinster fan Phil Noble from Swords in Bilbao. Photograph: James Crombie\/Inpho \"BordeauxBordeaux fans before the game against Leinster in Bilbao. Photograph: James Crombie\/Inpho \"LeinsterLeinster fans before the Investec Champions Cup final at the San Mames Stadium, Bilbao. Photograph: Ben Whitley\/PA <\/p>\n

Gerry Thornley has an interview with Ian Madigan, the former Irish outhalf and it is a busy weekend for the player turned pundit, with his former clubs lining out in both European finals.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Ian Madigan: \u2018I\u2019m not emotionally detached. Leinster is my boyhood club. I want them to win\u2019Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Conor Murray writes about Jacques Nienaber, the World Cup champion coach who has been the tactical brains behind Leinster in recent seasons. Murray played under him at Munster.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat immediately endeared Nienaber to the group was his quiet charisma. He\u2019s funny, too. It\u2019s some going to make 40 professional athletes laugh before flipping into deadly serious mode.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe lasting compliment I\u2019d pay Nienaber is you wanted a pat on the back from him for making a dominant tackle within his system. Mainly because he empowered you to read the game and take big risks. It\u2019s a similar environment to what Ireland<\/a> have developed under Andy Farrell<\/a>. You want to play for coaches like them.”<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Conor Murray: Nienaber\u2019s Springbok defence may not matter against all-out Bordeaux attackOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"LeinsterLeinster senior coach Jacques Nienaber. Photograph: Grace Halton\/Inpho <\/p>\n

After losing four finals since 2018, some better memories for Leinster come from 2018 in the same location in Bilbao, when they beat Racing 92. Nathan Johns remembers along with Devin Toner.<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Back in Bilbao – remembering Leinster\u2019s last European triumph in 2018Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

\"Leinster'sLeinster’s Devin Toner, Jack McGrath and Scott Fardy celebrate with the European Rugby Champions Cup trophy. Photograph: Dan Sheridan\/Inpho <\/p>\n

Hopefully things go better for Leinster than they did for Ulster last night. Ulster were thrashed 59-26 by Montpellier in the stifling heat in Bilbao. As Gerry Thornley writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cAs feared, the toll of losing too many big-game players at the end of a long season \u2013 coupled with the stifling heat in Bilbao and the greater potency of a fully-loaded Montpellier \u2013 was too much for a willing Ulster side.<\/p>\n

\u201cEven at their best \u2013 and there were too many errors for that to be the case \u2013 Ulster would have struggled to cope with this Montpellier side, all the more so when the contrasting oomph of the latter\u2019s bench came into effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn winning this trophy for a third time, the second-placed side in the Top 14 were also ruthless in their finishing, scoring nine tries from what seemed like no more than a dozen visits to the Ulster 22. On this evidence they\u2019ll be a threat to Toulouse et al to add a Bouclier de Brennus.\u201d<\/p>\n

[\u00a0Weakened Ulster burn out against ruthless Montpellier in Challenge Cup finalOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n

Hello and welcome to live coverage of the Champions Cup<\/a> final between Leinster<\/a> and Bordeaux B\u00e8gles<\/a>. Kick-off at the San Mam\u00e9s Stadium in Bilbao is at 2.45pm. Leinster are going for their first Champions Cup star since 2018 after four defeats in finals since then. They will face a tough French side, who are defending champions and have a wealth for talent, in sweltering conditions as a heatwave has hit northern Spain. Here are the teams for the final, as Leo Cullen has opted for the tried and tested from the Toulon win.<\/p>\n

LEINSTER: Hugo Keenan; Tommy O\u2019Brien, 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, Paddy McCarthy, Tadhg Furlong, Diarmuid Mangan, Max Deegan, Luke McGrath, Ciar\u00e1n Frawley, Jamie Osborne.<\/p>\n

BORDEAUX: Salesi Rayasi; Pablo Uberti, Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert, Maxime Lucu (capt); Jefferson Poirot, Maxime Lamothe, Carl\u00fc Sadie; Boris Palu, Adam Coleman; Pierre Bochaton, Cameron Woki, Marko Gazzotti. Replacements: Gaetan Barlot, Ugo Boniface, Ben Tameifuna, Lachie Swinton, Temo Matiu, Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, Arthur Retiere, Hugo Reus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Champions Cup final: Leinster 7 Bordeaux B\u00e8gles 14 22 mins: Fine margins for Leinster, Keenan\u2019s fingertip the difference…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":463483,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[121813,32728,42,11287,43,40,38,41,39],"class_list":["post-463482","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-bordeaux-begles","tag-champions-cup","tag-headlines","tag-leinster-rugby","tag-news","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463482","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=463482"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/463482\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463483"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=463482"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=463482"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=463482"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}