Summary

  • Bordeaux beat Northampton in incident-packed final to win Champions Cup for first time

  • Alex Coles gave Northampton early lead but Saints lost George Furbank and James Ramm to injury in first five minutes at Principality Stadium

  • Bordeaux ran in three tries before Coles scored on stroke of half-time to bring Saints level

  • French side dominated second half as Saints tired under relentless pressure

  • Northampton had two Henry Pollock tries disallowed and Tommy Freeman and Ed Prowse sin-binned

  • Top 14 sides have won last five Champions Cups

Live Reporting

Alastair Telfer

  1. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Saints give it a run from deep in their own half.

  2. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Exeter Chiefs remain the last Premiership club to win the Champions Cup.

    That win in 2020 does feel a long time ago.

  3. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    The ball goes down again. That will be that.

  4. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Saints win another scrum penalty and Fin Smith fires the ball up to just off halfway.

  5. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Ollie Sleightholme tries to kick it through but Louis Bielle-Biarrey blocks it.

    The line-out from Saints is not straight. They need a miracle now.

  6. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Bordeaux again fail to convert. Alex Coles will live rent free in their heads for a while. He is so good at disrupting.

  7. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Alex Mitchell is pinged for a pull in the air on Damian Penaud. Discipline has cost Saints this Champions Cup - simple as that.

  8. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Matt Dawson
    Former Northampton and England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Northampton players have their hands on knees, taking in whatever oxygen they can.

  9. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Maybe not, another scrum penalty for Saints, but they lose the resulting line-out.

    Time is running out.

  10. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Northampton have a scrum inside their own 22. Two scores are needed so they might have a cut from deep.

  11. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Bordeaux bang it clear and off goes Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Tom Litchfield gets to the ball first and cleans it up.

    The whole crowd could feel Bielle-Biarrey approaching.

  12. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Craig Wright is melted and the crowd are not happy as he was in the air.

    Northampton are eventually awarded the penalty. It is a good kick into Bordeaux's 22.

  13. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Paul Grayson
    Former Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Live

    The opposition tryline seems a long way away for Northampton right now. They are under so much pressure.

  14. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Matthieu Jalibert rips the ball from Craig Wright, but Henry Pollock helps win it back.

    It is then another scrum and Saints give it a crack out wide.

    The ball again goes down and the chance is gone.

  15. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    A mega scrum penalty for Saints. Officially out of danger now.

  16. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    The ball is held up over the tryline. Northampton's fight is unbelievable to stay in this game.

  17. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    A penalty is given against Northampton for playing the nine. Saints are told that one more penalty will be ANOTHER yellow card.

    Bordeaux go to the corner again.

  18. Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Bordeaux went 6-2 on the bench, you are starting to see the benefits of that decision.

    They pop a penalty into the corner.

  19. 'Fatigue hurting Northampton'

    Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Matt Dawson
    Former Northampton and England scrum-half on BBC Radio 5 Live

    Northampton have been putting everything out there but their pattern and direction of play has gone. It's all down to fatigue.

  20. 'Hitting the breakdown'

    Northampton 20-28 Bordeaux

    Paul Grayson
    Former Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Live

    The substitutes Bordeaux have brought on have clearly come on with instructions to attack the breakdown.