Key events
47 min: Attacking phases for Bath. Arundell takes a pass on the right wing and looks to cut inside but he struggles to make a meaningful impact, which seems the story of his afternoon up to this point. UBB’s work-rate in defence stays high. If Bath can get a try here it’s really game on but their opponents are repelling them effectively at the moment.
45 min: Bordeaux attack down the left wing. Bielle-Biarrey tries to offload inside but it’s straight to Carreras and Bath can breath again. Kepu Tuipulotu is on at hooker for Bath, Tom Dunn off.
42 min: Barbeary runs it down the middle … He bashes through Lucu, looking to go route one, but is then dragged down. Bordeaux soon manage to clear, but it looked like a head-on-head tackle from Lucu. Barbeary is hurt, and has a visible bash on his cheek, but it seems the TMO isn’t interested in having a look. Are they worried about being stormed by angry French fans in the TMO nerve centre?
Second-half kick-off!
Allez! A knock-on by Lucu immediately hands Bath an attacking scrum inside the UBB 22!
Half-time reading:
Penalty and half time! Bordeaux 24-12 Bath (Lucu)
Lucu slots the penalty and Bath are going to need something big in the second half to overturn a 12-point deficit.
As I mentioned at the top, the Bath v Northampton quarter-final was entertaining, but the defending was questionable and Bath have been exposed repeatedly during that first half. They’ve also made some basic errors – but that shows the pressure they are under in every facet of the game.
On the plus side Bath have caused plenty of problems for Bordeaux in attack – and Muir has scored two excellent tries. But if the game continues in this vein there is no way Bath are outscoring Bordeaux in the second 40.
39 min: A knock-on by Barbeary now, from a poor pass by Spencer, from a messy lineout via Charlie Ewels. A scrum for Bordeaux just outside the Bath 22, yet again. UBB smash up the middle, or rather ghost up the middle via Penaud initially. Guy Pepper is penalised and Lucu will kick.
“Bath have got to be better defensively,” says Dallaglio. “You’ve got to stay square, once the ball’s gone past you, then you push off … you can’t afford to rush up, turn your shoulders out, and then the likes of Lucu and Jalibert are stepping you on the inside. That is just bread and butter defence.”
Try! 35 min: Bordeaux 21-12 Bath (Lucu)
What a stunning score. Jalibert runs the ball after the scrum and feints to pass outside, but then switches inside to his half-back partner Lucu. Then the Bath defence is fatally unbalanced and the ball is put through the hands, via a freaky bit of handling by Lucu initially as he taps the ball upwards and over his head, twisting to catch it … some desperate Bath defending near the line forces them to recycle the ball but there is no keeping them out, and Lucu crashes over under the sticks! Just lovely to watch, unless you are a Bath fan, or if you’re watching and desperately trying to contain them from within Bath’s defensive line …
34 min: UBB truck it up with a maul from the lineout. Lucu sends up a clever high kick, directing it infield, and Muir does brilliantly to claim it under pressure. Then Tom Dunn knocks on and it’s a scrum for Bordeaux in a handy position, outside the 22 …
32 min: Bath are exerting a little bit of control now. They play a few phases around the 22, then Arundell tries a chip and chase down the middle. He’s hoping for a kind bounce and doesn’t get it, even if a crazy bounce does confound the first Bordeaux defender trying to snaffle it, Jalibert. Then Guy Pepper has a chance to run down the Bath left wing – he tries to switch on the afterburners but is dragged down and is then penalised for holding on. Penalty for Bordeaux.
Try! 27 min: Bordeaux 14-12 Bath (Muir)
Muir is over in the corner after a stunningly intricate Bath attack! Wonderful score! But a foot in touch? No! It’s a try! That is a magnificent finish by the wing, leaping for the line and using his strength to dot down with a full-length dive as Lucu arrives to try and force him into touch. Muir is a big lad and he used all his physical presence there. But it was silky skill and co-ordination that enabled him to apply the finish, too.
Top-class stuff. Russell misses the conversion from out wide.
25 min: Pressure on the Bordeaux line. Barbeary thinks he has the ball down but the ref says no. Still it’s a penalty and Amashukeli tells Lucu the next infringement under pressure will be a yellow card … the ball pops up kindly for Bordeaux next and Lucu can hammer a clearing kick downfield.
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 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 … but no. The ref, Nika Amashukeli, says no clear head contact. That looks debatable.
20 min: Bath work a few phases around halfway. Barbeary tries to use his considerable heft with a strong carry but is stopped dead. Then it’s back to basics with a box kick from Spencer. It’s a good chance for Bath, into their opponents’ 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 – 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’s all happening.
19 min: On commentary duty, Dallaglio reckons Bath need to up their work-rate in defence. It’s all hands on deck, that’s for sure. The second try came from a knock-on I think by Arundell and a penalty that came after.
Try! 15 min: Bordeaux 14-7 Bath (Bielle-Biarrey)
Another relatively soft concession from a Bath point of view sees the France international flyer touch down on the Bordeaux left. It’s a simple numbers game when Lucu’s 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.
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 …
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 defence, not that they expected anything else.
10 min: A fine recovery from Bath 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 – 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.
Try! 8 min: Bordeaux 7-7 Bath (Muir)
Stunning score! Arundell initially claims a cross-kick on the right wing … Bath 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!
5 min: A chance for Bath to gather themselves. Spencer puts in a good kick behind the Bordeaux defence which has Jalibert et al back-pedalling. Then it’s Carreras involved as Bath set up an immediate chance to strike back with a lineout in the corner, on their left wing.
Try! 2 min: Bordeaux 7-0 Bath (Gazzotti)
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’s defence is nowhere. The No 8 Marko Gazzotti smashes over. Maxime Lucu adds the extras. Worrying start for Bath.
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 …
First half kick-off!
Barbeary spills the kick-off, but gets away with it. Bath secure possession after his error and Ben Spencer box-kicks from their 22. The sun is out after the pre-match deluge.
Here we go then. The teams are the pitch at Stade Atlantique. The rain has cleared. And the atmosphere looks special …
Robert Kitson
There’s 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’s fan base are out in force and vastly outnumbering Bath’s travelling support, several of whom were on early-bird flights over from Gatwick and Luton … big games like this don’t come around too often and the 10-minute delayed kick off has further cranked up the expectation levels. Pre-game music not bad either – ’What Am I’ by Guinny, anyone? Here’s hoping the game lives up to this week’s drum roll build-up … recent Anglo-French rugby contests have set a high bar.
Now for an update from Robert Kitson, our rugby correspondent, who is on the scene in France …
“Kick-off delayed due to lightning strikes near the stadium,” emails Mark Hayden. “… according to French TV.”
Thanks for letting us know Mark. Enjoy the game.
It’s a veritable smorgasbord of live sport today. Lots more to enjoy across the site at the moment:
“I back the away team … I love the underdog,” says pundit Lawrence Dallaglio, backing Bath for a famous win in their first European semi-final for two decades. “They’ve got to stand up today.”
Kick-off delayed until 3.10pm BST / 4.10pm CET
Kick-off has been delayed by 10 minutes. Martin Bayfield on Premier Sports says they are not sure why, but there it is.
Aaron Bower
There are in truth few Bordeaux Bègles players better qualified to explain just how it feels to be in the eye of the storm with European rugby’s 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.
Coleman’s career looked to be over when London Irish went out of business 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’s rise to the top of the club game, culminating in their Champions Cup final triumph over Northampton last year.
“They’ve got some incredible players scattered across their whole team … as do we,” Ollie Lawrence tells Premier Sports. (I knew someone would say it.)
“They’re probably thinking – how do they stop Finn Russell or Thomas du Toit?
“We respect them, but we don’t fear them.”
All the classics.
How have I made it this far without mentioning the looming battle between Mathieu Jalibert v Finn Russell at fly-half? Not entirely sure.
Anyway, you can email me if you wish.
Robert Kitson
The shortlist for this year’s Champions Cup player of the year award is an eyecatching one. There are five contenders and four of them – Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Finn Russell, Matthieu Jalibert and Caelan Doris – 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.
Step forward Alfie Barbeary, the shaggy-haired Bath colossus looking to smash a few holes in Bordeaux Bègles’ title defence at the Stade Atlantique on Sunday. The 25-year-old Barbeary might not yet be a connoisseur of the region’s celebrated wines – “I know there’s red and white but that’s about it” – but he makes up for that in other respects. Some people are born entertainers and the big No 8 is definitely one of them.
It is absolutely bucketing down in Bordeaux right now. Will it be tactical kicking and “up the jumper”? Nothing wrong with that.
Noel McNamara, Bordeaux’s 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.
“Buzzing. Amazing,” says the Bath flanker Miles Reid of today’s occasion. He starts on the bench. “They have huge threats. They’ve got speed, they’re good on their snap attack when they turn over ball. We’re 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’s down to the 23. Just buzzing to get out here today. The breakdown’s massive. They’ve got threats over the ball, as do we: that’s my area today, really.”
Watch out for Ted Hill off the Bath bench, an absolute machine, plus Sam Underhill and the 20-year-old Kepu Tuipulotu. The starting back row – Josh Bayliss, Guy Pepper and Alfie Barbeary – will of course be key to their hopes. Santi Carreras at full-back and Henry Arundell on the wing … this is exciting.
Two of the more obvious players to look out for on Bordeaux’s team are Louis Bielle-Biarrey [who scored nine tries in this year’s 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.
“Be ourselves. Enjoy the moment. Grab the moment,” says Van Graan, the Bath head coach, speaking to Premier Sports. “Two fantastic teams … it’s the first for us in many years. Ultimately, it remains a game of rugby. We’re going to enjoy ourselves today.”
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):
“Thomas is the man for the big occasion in the scrum … we want to play the game on our terms … one of those terms was that Thomas starts … he’ll have a massive part to play, but so will 22 others. This will not be won by a single person … we believe we’ve got a great opportunity today.”
And also Louis Hennessy, a notable selection at outside-centre:
“We’ve got some fantastic centres … Louis was great on the wing the last two weekends … he’s been knocking on the door and we believe he’s the best option for today.”
Two frankly ridiculous teams and matchday squads. I haven’t seen any of the buildup, but surely someone said: “They’ve got great players, but so have we.” ?
Teams
Bordeaux Bègles: 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.
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.
Preamble
Both these teams emerged from enthralling quarter-finals. If you like tries and lots of indifferent defending, then Bath 43-41 Northampton 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.
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 stand between Johann van Graan’s Bath and a place in the final against Leinster, in Bilbao on 23 May.
Bath’s 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.
Kick-off: 3pm BST
