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 20-20 Bordeaux

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

    There were two pulls on jerseys. They are tiny but probably stop Bordeaux players tackling Henry Pollock.

  2. Disallowed try

    Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Alex Coles pulls back Sipili Falatea which opens up the space. That is the right call.

  3. try

    Try - Northampton 25-20 Bordeaux

    Henry Pollock

    But it is being checked.

  4. Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Louis Bielle-Biarrey, for not the first time, fails to get a good clearance kick away.

  5. Kick-off

    Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    We are back under way.

  6. A blue and red blur in the most purple of patches

    HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Mike Henson
    BBC Sport

    Louis Bielle-BiarreyGetty Images

    This season, Louis Bielle-Biarrey has scored 31 tries in 27 matches.

    Since the turn of the year, via a record-breaking eight tries in a single Six Nations campaign, the 21-year-old's strike-rate has revved even higher, with 19 in 14 games.

    He has scored in all but one game he has played in during 2025. His top sprint speed has been measured at 37.8 kmh (23.5 mph), faster than any player has managed in five years of collecting the same data in football's Premier League.

    He is a blue and red blur, in the most purple of patches.

    Read Mike's piece on Bielle-Biarrey.

  7. 'Furbank is awake'

    HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Sara Orchard
    Rugby commentator on BBC Radio 5 Live

    George Furbank is now awake, he's being assessed, they don't know if they are going to take him to hospital but the good news is he is awake.

  8. 'Power, pace and accuracy'

    HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

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

    An incredible 40 minutes of rugby. From the opening salvo from Northampton it looked like a repeat of the intensity, the power, pace and accuracy of their semi-final win over Leinster, but then they had the two injuries and Bordeaux take control.

    I have to single out Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith for organising the team around them.

  9. HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    We've not seen much of Henry Pollock, but he is already known as a 'big moments player' so this is set up perfectly for him.

    An iconic winning try incoming? A bit early for that chat...

  10. Saints hang tough

    HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Mike Henson
    BBC Sport at Principality Stadium

    An absolute slobberknocker of a match so far. Two sides swinging at each other with the abandon of a closing-time car-park scrap.

    Bordeaux have had more of it, but Northampton are clinging into one like cockroaches. The French side just can't get rid of them.

    A big 10 minutes await on the other side of the whistle...

    Northampton produced a behind-the-scenes film on their win over Leinster in the semi-finals. In it Henry Pollock advised that the favourites would start getting very frightened if Saints were still in the contest at 55 minutes. I imagine he is saying similar now...

  11. 'What a team'

    HT: Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Chris Jones
    BBC rugby union correspondent in Cardiff

    What a team Northampton are! These men have gone to the well in this half.

  12. try

    Converted try - Northampton 20-20 Bordeaux

    Alex Coles (con Fin Smith)

    Never rule out Saints.

    Ollie Sleightholme is sent free down the wing and he offloads the ball back inside for Alex Coles to run in his second.

    Fin Smith nails the extras from out wide. He has brought his kicking boots.

    Alex ColesPA Media

  13. 'That's a gift for Bordeaux'

    Northampton 13-20 Bordeaux

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

    Northampton have to make Bordeaux work for every point. You can't be gifting tries like that.

    Jalibert gave the ball away, Pollock should get on the ball and secure it.

  14. try

    Try - Northampton 13-20 Bordeaux

    Damian Penaud

    Correct...

    It is another simple finish for Damian Penaud. It was coming.

    Damian PenaudPA Media

  15. Northampton 13-15 Bordeaux

    Chris Jones
    BBC rugby union correspondent in Cardiff

    Can Saints survive here? You feel Bordeaux can score left or right.

  16. 'Penaud would have scored'

    Northampton 13-15 Bordeaux

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

    Tommy Freeman has to be in the bin there. Penaud was flying and he's taken him out. He had to make that tackle because either Penaud would have scored or he'd put his mate in.

  17. Sin-bin - Tommy Freeman (Northampton)

    Northampton 13-15 Bordeaux

    Tommy Freeman takes out Damian Penaud in the air. That looked to be a certain try as Bordeaux were in behind.

  18. Northampton 13-15 Bordeaux

    BOOM! Ollie Sleightholme swats off Matthieu Jalibert.

  19. Penalty - Northampton 13-15 Bordeaux

    Fin Smith

    Fin Smith nails over an easy kick. They did consider the corner but that was a mature call.

  20. Northampton 10-15 Bordeaux

    Fin Smith's kick through is picked up by Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who slices his clearance. A real chance now for Saints as they go into Bordeaux's 22.