Champions Cup semi-final: Bordeaux Bègles 35 Toulouse 18
Louis Bielle-Biarrey’s stunning try highlighted Bordeaux-Bègles‘ 35-18 win over Top 14 rivals Toulouse as they set up a Champions Cup final meeting with Northampton.
Bordeaux had raced into a 10-0 lead with a try from Pete Samu and a Matthieu Jalibert penalty, but Toulouse edged 11-10 up with a pair of Juan Cruz Mallia penalties either side of Dimitri Delibes’s try.
But Bielle-Biarrey then lit up the Matmut Atlantique with a moment of brilliance, somersaulting his way over the line after Romain Buros had burst through the Toulouse defence.
When the 21-year-old France wing scored a second just 19 seconds into the second half, Jalibert converted for a 25-11 lead but Pierre-Louis Barassi capitalised on a visit to the sin bin for Marko Gazzotti to pull one back for Toulouse and inject some nerves into the finale.
Pierre Bochaton powered over for a fourth Bordeaux try in the 64th minute and Ben Tameifuna added a late fifth to put Bordeaux into their first Champions Cup final, to be played in Cardiff on May 24th.
Toulouse were unbeaten since losing in the 2023 semi-finals to Leinster but with Antoine Dupont, Blair Kinghorn, Thomas Ramos and Peato Mauvaka all injured, they suffered their first defeat against their opponents in a knock-out match.
“They had a 10-minute spell of domination and we did not crack. We’re so happy to qualify in front of our fans as we’ve been through very tough moments,” said Jalibert, referring to Toulouse’s 59-3 win against Bordeaux-Bègles in the Top 14 final last season.
Bordeaux also lost Damian Penaud through a knee injury and the France winger was in tears after the final whistle.
SCORERS – Bordeaux Bègles: Bielle-Biarrey 2 tries; Samu, Bochaton, Tameifuna try each; Jalibert pen, 2 cons; Lucu pen; Toulouse: Delibes, Barassi try each; Mallia 2 pens, con.
BORDEAUX BÈGLES: R Buros; D Penaud, N Depoortere, Y Moefana, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, M Lucu; J Poirot, M Lamothe, S Falatea; A Coleman, C Cazeaux; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu.
Replacements: P Bochaton for Coleman (28 mins); M Gazzotti for Diaby (40); M Perchaud for Poirot (52); B Tameifuna for Falatea (53); A Retiere for Penaud (56); B Vergnes-Taillefer for Samu (59); J Carbery for Jalibert, C Sa for Lamothe (both 69).
Sin Bin: Gazzotti (53).
TOULOUSE: J-C Mallia; A Capuozzo, P-L Barassi, P Ahki, D Delibes; R Ntamack, P Graou; C Baille, J Marchand, D Aldegheri; T Flament, E Meafou; F Cros, J Willis, A Roumat.
Replacements: R Neti for Baille, J Merkler for Aldegheri, A Jelonch for Roumat (all 48 mins); S Chocobares for Delibes (59); G Cramont for Marchand, C Verge for Meafour, Saito for Graou, Castro M Castro-Ferreira for Willis (all 64).
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU).
