Bordeaux-Begles

Bordeaux-Begles scrum-half Maxime Lucu, speaking to the media about Northampton Saints flanker Henry Pollock: "He is a very classy player.

"He has incredible qualities and he is a threat to us.

"When you talk about big players like that, it is important to neutralise them. He has got quality in attack and in defence.

"He runs a lot, he could play in the backs, and he has had a huge start to his career. We have to be wary of him."

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What happens next?

Thumbs up for - Henry Pollock hits the ball into the stands for six. Vintage Pollock.

Thumbs down - Pollock is bowled and exposes a sport that he is not naturally good at.

Vote below and message in if you have any alternative suggestions.

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Image source, Getty Images

Henry Pollock was lining up for England against Ireland in the opening game of the Under-20 Six Nations at the end of January.

The 20-year-old went on to score two tries on his England senior debut off the bench in the Six Nations against Wales in March, before scoring a sensational solo try for Northampton Saints against Sale Sharks two weeks later.

That form continued into Europe as he bagged tries in Champions Cup knockout wins over Clermont, Castres and Leinster.

He has been shortlist for European player of the year and will want to impress against Bordeaux after his recent call-up to the British and Irish Lions.

A standout performance in a Champions Cup final would cap an incredible season. He openly practises his celebrations, what has he planned?

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Weirdly, Northampton's last Champions Cup final was in today's same venue back in 2011.

Saints raced into a 22-6 half-time lead against Leinster, which included a try from their now director of rugby Phil Dowson.

However, former Ireland fly-half Johnny Sexton bagged two tries and kicked 12 second-points to inspire one of the great European comeback wins.

I wonder if Dowson has played that 33-22 defeat back this week?

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Northampton Saints

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Northampton Saints director of rugby Phil Dowson, speaking to BBC Sport on their bus being late: "Yeah it's a bit frustrating but not masses we can deal with.

"The medics will get us strapped and we'll get through and we'll make sure we warm up appropriately. I'm still unsure as to why they didn't put the sirens on and just get us through traffic a bit quicker, but there you go."

You can tune into live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Northampton on this page from 14:45 BST.

Image source, BBC Sport

Bordeaux-Begles, contesting their first Champions Cup final, have named an unchanged starting XV from the side that beat last year's champions Toulouse in the last four.

Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert, both France internationals, are the half-back partnership, while Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are part of a dangerous backline.

France wing Penaud has not featured since Bordeaux's semi-final victory because of an ankle injury but is deemed fit enough to start.

Former Leinster and Munster fly-half Joey Carbery, who won the Champions Cup in 2018, misses out on the matchday squad as Bordeaux opt for a 6-2 spilt of forwards to backs on the bench.

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Recent Champions Cup winners:

• 2021 - Toulouse
• 2022 - La Rochelle
• 2023 - La Rochelle
• 2024 - Toulouse

Will it be a French team lifting the trophy for the fifth season in a row?

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Northampton Saints

Northampton Saints captain Fraser Dingwall, speaking before the Champions Cup final: "We can just go and attack it. I have got full belief if we have a good performance, that will get us to where we want to get to.

"As good as the semi-final was, it now becomes irrelevant, doesn’t it, really, because you’ve got a final step? No-one has won a trophy.

"As good as a day like that was, it means nothing if you don’t win the trophy as well. I think it becomes even greater if you go and back it up.

"It becomes even more of a thing if you then go and beat a really good Bordeaux team, who also have got loads of great players, loads of great individuals who can do some great stuff."

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Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Principality Stadium

Joe Trevellick, James Wilks, Jane, Lia and Mark Trevellick travelled down from Northampton and have arrived at the Principality in hope.

And a little bit of a haze in Mark's case after indulging in one too many while watching Bath's win over Lyon in a bar on St Mary's Street.

They were at Twickenham last season for Saints' cagey final victory over Bath and admit that their team maybe would have struggled to see that game home without Beno Obano's red card.

I think they would take the same this time...

England full-back George Furbank returns to the Northampton team for only his second appearance since December.

Curtis Langdon and Alex Coles also are deemed fit enough to start, while Ollie Sleightholme is named on the bench for potentially his first appearance since March.

A big blow for Saints is Ulster-bound South African Juarno Augustus misses the game through injury, with Henry Pollock packing down at number eight.

Augustus, a big abrasive ball carrier, was hugely influential in Northampton's semi-final win over Leinster.

Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Dingwall (capt), Hutchinson, Ramm; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, Pollock

Replacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, James, Litchfield, Sleightholme.

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1998 – Bath

2000 – Northampton

2001 & 2002 – Leicester

2004 & 2007 – Wasps

2016, 2017 and 2019 – Saracens

2020 - Exeter

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In March, Harlequins scrum-half Danny Care said it would be "miraculous" if an English team won the Investec Champions Cup this season.

"These are the types of games you still want to be playing in; obviously no-one gives us a chance in hell but we'll give it a crack," Care told BBC Sport.

"I think it'd be miraculous if an English team can get their hands on that at the moment, with the way the tournament is, to go up against these French and Irish superpowers. Last year for us and Northampton to get to a semi-final was remarkable.

"If one of us could do it again this year it would be nothing short of a miracle."

I will be bringing this up again if Saints win, sorry Danny....

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Bath comfortably defeated Lyon on Friday to win the Challenge Cup - Europe's second-tier competition.

Northampton's last European trophy came in the Challenge Cup in 2014 after beating Bath in the final.

A Premiership European double incoming?

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Mike Henson
BBC Sport at Principality Stadium

Adrian and Clement were on a specially chartered flight that left Bordeaux this morning for Cardiff and will make the return trip after the final whistle this evening.

Bordeaux to Cardiff is a not a regular route so they say that 90% of the away fans in the Principality Stadium today were on board with them.

They have crammed some culture into their packed itinerary, visiting Cardiff Castle before heading to the stadium.

Their verdict on the Welsh capital?

"Not very beautiful, but very friendly."

Bordeaux-Begles scored 217 points and picked up four bonus-point wins to gain top seed for the knockout stages.

They are not far off a perfect run to the final.

• Pool - Bordeaux 42-28 Leicester Tigers
• Pool - Ulster 19-40 Bordeaux
• Pool - Exeter Chiefs 17-69 Bordeaux
• Pool - Bordeaux 66-12 Sharks
• Last 16 - Bordeaux 43-31 Ulster
• Quarter-final - Bordeaux 47-29 Munster
• Semi-final - Bordeaux 35-18 Toulouse

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• Pool - Northampton 38-8 Castres
• Pool - Bulls 21-30 Northampton
• Pool - Stade Francais 45-35 Northampton
• Pool - Northampton 34-32 Munster
• Last 16 - Northampton 46-24 Clermont
• Quarter-final- Northampton 51-16 Castres
• Semi-final - Leinster 34-37 Northampton

Huge away wins in South Africa and Dublin is why you can never rule out Northampton Saints in Europe.

However, their one loss this Champions Cup campaign came against French opposition in Stade Francais.

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Alastair Telfer
BBC Sport

Who had Northampton Saints against Bordeaux-Begles in the Investec Champions Cup final?

After two impressive semi-final wins over Leinster and Toulouse, no-one can dispute this is a worthy final at Principality Stadium.

Saints play attacking free-flowing rugby and score a bucket load of tries, as do Bordeaux, who have blown away most sides in the competition.

However, I am fully aware after hyping up a potential 55-43 scoreline, we will get a 9-3 classic now in Cardiff.

Bordeaux-Begles are contesting their first Champions Cup final, while Northampton have won the competition once in 2000.

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