Key events
TRY! Northampton 7-12 Bordeaux (Coleman, 21)
The big fella is over in the corner! Was there a knock-on by Moefana at the back of the line-out? No, it went backwards. But wrong footed the entire Saints defence. So did the side-step from Jalibert who then floated a basketball pass to Coleman who gathered and slid over on the right. Jalibert converts. Bordeaux are gathering pace.
21 min: Blistering from Bielle-Biarrey. From nothing he finds an edge on the right wing – looping in from the left – gets in a corner near the touchline but grubbers ahead. It’s a teaser and Freeman, cantering across, has no choice but to gather and slide out. Bordeaux will throw six metres out on the right.
19 min: Northampton’s scrum gets a strong second shove. They’ve made a mess of the Bordeaux pack. But Pollock won’t release after making a tackle and coughs up a penalty. Bordeaux nudge it back into Saints terriitory, win the line-out and set up an attack down the line just beyond Northampton’s 22.
18 min: No problem with the line-out from Bordeaux. Lucu hammers a big kick but here come Saints. Sleightholme to Freeman wh finds an edge around halfway. They flood forward. It’s well connected but scramble defence in the tram from Bordeaux force a knock-on.
17 min: Bordeax spot a man advantage down a blindside after some kick tennis and Bielle-Biarrey is that man. He chips ahead and Freeman fields. The Saints man lost his feet but gets the benefit of the doubt and Saints come away with it. Now they’re on the edge of Bordeaux’s 22 on the left – it’s been that sort of game. Hutchinson from midfield kicks into the corner and finds touch. Great little grubber spotting the space. Bordeaux will have the throw on their own line.
NO TRY! Bielle-Biarrey’s try chalked off.
15 min: Stunning! First phase attack play at its finest. From the scrum Lucu fizzed it to Jalibert who gathered on the wraparound and then fed the onrushing Bielle-Biarrey. The flying winger, off his own wing, passed to Penaud but it drifted forward. So even though he received the inside ball to score, it wouldn’t count. A let off for the Saints and Litchfield who jumped up from his 13 channel. Scrum on their own 22 for Saints.
13 min: Bordeaux look intent on running it wherever possible, but they’re also hammering the breakdown. They’re so aggressive on the floor. Jalibert spots some space as Mitchell rushed up and the French fly-half chopped and chased. He landed it perfectly but the bounce is unkind, rising high and he couldn’t quite get it, knocking it on. Saints win the scrum and go down the blindside where Dingwall is bundled out of touch. Bordeaux take the line-out quickly and kick upfield. Smith knocks on. or did he? Looks like it might have gone backwards. Not according to the ref. Bordeaux have the scrum inside Northampton’s half towards the left touch.
11 min: Saints win their scrum with a mighty shove, but they kick the ball away soon after. Bordeaux keep it til they kick it. Saints return it but Lucu has the final say with a big hoof over halfway that bobbles out of touch.
8 min: Bordeaux win the restart and Lucu dinks over the onrushing Saints line. Penaud won it, but knocked it on under contact. Saints scrum just inside opposition territory.
TRY! Northampton 7-5 Bordeaux (Penaud, 6)
A walk in for Damian! After winning the line-out it was simple hands down the line. Moefana with a big carry that got them moving forward and then it was just a case of getting to their ace winger who had the easiest job to finish.
Jalibert hits the pole with the conversion attempt.
5 min: Furbank – who only just returned to the group – is receiving treatment. He copped a knee to the head in the all the madness as he defended Lucu’s high cross-field kick. What do Saints do here? Hutchinson might move to fullback from midfield. Not an ideal start (despite, of course, the opening try).
Saints will have to defend their line with Bordeax five out. Lucu kicked with a penalty advantage. Jalibert is shaping to kick to the corner but there is a delay as Furbank was knocked out by a stray knee. They’re prepping the stretcher. He’s leaving now to the sound of applause on the back of a cart. What a sad end to his match.
Right. Jalibert kicks to the corner. Five out.
5 min: It’s chaos. Bordeaux try several times to rumble over from close range. Northampton hold firm. Lucu tries a long cross-field kick from coast to coast. Penaud and Furbank go up. The ball is spilled but both players land with a thud. No foul play. Furbank looks in a bad way and he might be out of the game. That’ll be two of the Saints back three injured within five minutes. Litchfield is primed and ready to go. What a shame for the Saints.
4 min: Bordeaux win a penalty, nudge it out and then secure the line-out. Jalibert spots a gap in the corner and nudges a perfect kick. Mitchell, with Bielle-Biarey breathing down his neck, has no choice but to run it out. Bordeaux will have the throw five out.
3 min: What a shame. Ramm is hobbling off. Sleightholme replaces him.
TRY! Northampton 7-0 Bordeaux (Coles, 3)
Coles gets there! What a start from the Saints. Bordeaux haven’t touched the ball from the kick-off. Mitchell kept the tempo going after the penalty advantage and after hammering the line, big Coles bust over the gainline and reached out to dot down. Smith slots the extras. Breathless start.
2 min: Langdon is a metre out. They’re hammering the line. Coles reaches out…
1 min: Saints kick off and secure the ball. Coles has a charge. So does Davison. Now they go down the line, Fuerbank floats one out to Hutchinson who is held up by Bielle-Biarey. Jalibert nicks it but there’s an advantage that Mitchell takes quickly…
The players are in the tunnel.
Oh, Bordeaux have gone with a 6-2 split. Northampton are sticking with a 5-3.
Is that a sign of how they intend to go about their business?
Out they come to fireworks and loud music and manic cheers. This feels like a serious event.
Lawrence Dallaglio on Premier Sports has the final word of the build up. He’s backing Saints to win.
If you’re going to press me to make a prediction I think that Bordeaux’s pack will be the difference. Both sides have the firepower out wide and through midfield, but it’ll come down to the heavies and their ability to get the flyers enough ball.
Then again, I thought the same in the Leinster game and Northampton proved me wrong there.
Aaaah! I just don’t know. OK, time to make a call. Bordeaux to edge a thriller by less than a score. The only way Northampton win this (in my humble opinion) is if they storm to a 10+ point lead early doors and manage to match Bordeaux score for score thereafter. But I don’t see it happening.
Quick, get your predictions in before the game starts.
Phil Dowson is chatting with Premier Sports:
Are we a team that is more than the sum of its parts? I believe that we are.
We’re blessed to have guys who have come through [the academy] together.
We need to make sure we focus on our performance. The players have spoken how [beating Leinster] can’t be the pinnacle of our season.
STAT ALERT! Bordeaux have scored more tries from their own half than they have from moves starting in the opposition’s territory.
Maybe read that again. That is staggering!
Perhaps it’s no surprise when they have Louis Bielle-Biarrey who this week won the Pat Marshall Memorial Award, handed out by the Rugby Union Writers’ Club.
The 21-year-old is the youngest to ever win this prestigious gong but he’s more than deserving, having dotted down for 31 tries for club and country this season.
Naturally so much of the prematch chat has focussed on Henry Pollock.
His England coach, Steve Borthwick, reckons he’s in with a shout of starting for the Lions this summer. I’m not so sure myself – though I’d have him coming off the bench.
He’s a game changer. But can he handle the extra heft of this Bordeaux pack? His personal battle with Samu could be the difference maker in this contest.
Here’s Borthwick on the starboy of the moment:
Shout out to Paul Moody in Brazil who has written in:
“Am excited. About this too. Drama awaits”
A man of few words. But what else needs to be said? Things are hotting up!
While we wait, get stuck into some more top writing.
Here’s Ugo Monye encouraging Northampton to let rip and attack, attack, ATTACK! No surprise from the former Quins, England and Lions winger – that’s his attitude more or less with every rugby match. But on this one he’s spot on. No sense in the Saints going away from what’s brought them so much success over the past two seasons.
Bordeaux team news
The backline is littered with superstars. But don’t sleep on that pack. This bunch of heavies got the better of Toulouse three times this season and the Australian Pete Samu is – for my money – one of the form loose forwards in the world.
If the forwards get go-forward ball, those backs will have freedom to do their stuff.
Bordeaux-Begles: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu (c); Poirot, Lamothe, Falatea, Coleman, Cazeaux, Diaby, Petti, Samu.
Replacements: Sa, Boniface, Tameifuna, Bochaton, Vergnes, Gazzotti, Retiere, Janse van Rensberg.
Northampton team
A couple of Northampton players are undergoing fitness tests as we speak.
Alex Coles in particular is a small doubt, but right now he’s scheduled to start.
Henry Pollock slots in at 8 after Juarno Augustus was injured in the win against Leinster. George Furbank returns to 15 which means James Ramm slots in on the wing.
Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Dingwall (c), Hutchinson, Ramm; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock.
Replacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prose, Scott-Young, James, Litchfield, Sleightholme
There’s loads of great reading to get you in the mood for this one.
Let’s kick off with a ripping chat between Fin Smith and Don McRae:
And when you’re done with that, here’s Rob Kitson on Northampton’s ‘mix of ingredients’:
This could be an iconic day for English rugby.
With Bath lifting the Challenge Cup last night, with Ben Spencer and Finn Russell leading the way, a Northampton win would mark a historic double for the Premiership.
Read Rob Kitson’s report here:
Preamble
Daniel Gallan
It’s the most glittering prize in club rugby, staged at one of the sport’s great cathedrals, contested by two of the most dynamic teams in the competition.
You don’t always get what you want but sometimes you do. And here in Cardiff, the rugby gods have played ball.
Bordeaux Bègles head into this final in red hot form. They top the Champions Cup across a range of metrics including points scored, tries notched, metres made and line breaks. Worryingly – as far as their opponents are concerned – they also occupy first place when it comes to turnovers procured, which means the likes of Damien Penaud, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Mathiew Jalibert and Maxime Lucu can wreak havoc from broken play.
But Northampton Saints have a few ballers of their own, including four British & Irish Lions recruits in Henry Pollock, Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell and Tommy Freeman. They upset the bookmakers by beating Leinster in the semis and won’t fear their mighty French foes.
I’ll eat my hat if this is a stodgy game of attrition. My guess is that the winner will need at least 30 points to triumph. Tries, off-loads, side-steps, mazy runs and last ditch ankle taps; this promises to be one for the romantics.
In case it wasn’t clear I’m positively buzzing for this. Hope you are too. If you fancy writing in I’d love to hear from you. Even better if you’re writing in from Cardiff where things will kick off at 2:45 BST.
