We’re just days away from the Investec Champions Cup Final, and it’s all set to be a real humdinger with the Saints looking to secure their first trophy of the Champions Cup era, while Bordeaux are keen to secure their first major honour after falling just short in the 2024 Top 14.
Fans from across Europe will be playing close attention, with the match-up having plenty of intriguing head-to-heads, not least how the Saints deal with the serious attacking threat of Louis Bielle-Biarrey and Damian Penaud.
As we approach the final, here are all the details you need ahead of the fixture…
Union Bordeaux Begles v Northampton Saints: Match info
The two sides enter the Final in rather differing form, with the Saints having recently dropped out of the Premiership Rugby title race, although they did beat Saracans last weekend to put a real dent in the Sarries’ play-off hopes. That said, their European form has been somewhat different, losing only one game on the journey to the final.
Bordeaux haven’t lost at all in Europe so far, and L’Union also sit comfortably in second in the Top 14 too, although the title is beyond them. It’s Bordeaux’s first European final in their history, while Saints will be in their fourth, their first since a run at the 2014 Challenge Cup, in which they won the title.
Route to the Final
Both sides have had an impressive run to the Final and have generally been pretty comfortable throughout the knockout stages.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux topped the group in the Pool Stage, picking up 20 points and securing four wins out of four. They go into the Final as the top seed and have shown real strength in attack.
Group Stage:
Opponent
Result
Leicester Tigers
42-28
Ulster
40-10
Exeter Chiefs
69-17
Sharks
66-12
Knockout Stage:
Opponent
Result
Ulster
43-31
Munster
47-29
Toulouse
35-18
Northampton Saints
The Saints had a similarly impressive route to the Final, only losing to Stade Francais in the Pool Stage. They didn’t quite blow teams away in the same manner as their French opposition, but secured 16 points, enough to see them into the knockouts, where they were dominant until the Semi Final, when they just edged past Leinster.
Group Stage:
Opponent
Result
Castres
38-8
Bulls
30-21
Stade Francais
35-45
Munster
34-32
Knockout Stage:
Opponent
Result
Clermont
42-24
Castres
51-16
Leinster
37-34
What the bookmakers, pundits and players are saying
It’s certainly an interesting game to call, but the bookmakers are generally favouring Bordeaux. There are some intriguing betting markets out there, with Mighty Tips a good place to look, providing insights from a team of veteran forecasters.
They’re finding that across most bookmakers that Bordeaux Begles are priced around 1/3, significantly shorter odds than Northampton’s 23/10. Which suggests it could be a one-sided affair.
However, the players themselves know that won’t be the case and expect a tight battle.
Bordeaux’s lock, Guido Petti, said of the upcoming encounter: “We need to prepare again. We know Northampton is a great team and we’ve seen it yesterday.”
“They dominated the Leinster breakdown and were really good with their defence. You can see the amazing players that they have, and also as a team, they work with a real emotional bond.”
“I think it’s not a surprise – we saw them along all of the Champions Cup, and they are a tough customer for us. So we need to prepare the best match possible to get to play this final, and hopefully, we will have it in us to go all the way.”
The side’s Adam Coleman also said it would be a “meeting of minds”, particularly after Saints overcame the odds to beat Leinster in the Semi Final.
Fin Smith will be the star man for Saints, with FloRugby describing him as“a sprinkling of magic dust; Smith is perhaps underrated as a playmaker and attacking threat of his own as a ball carrier.
“Surrounded by incredible attacking talent with the Saints, Smith is the conductor of the high-flying Sam Vesty-designed orchestra.”
PlanetRugby meanwhile have also suggested not to write off the spirit of the Saints.
How to watch the Champions Cup Final
If you want to watch the Champions Cup Final, tickets are still available via the official ticketing site, while all the action will be watched via Premier Sports.
Premier Sports itself is available through Sky on channels 419 and 420, Virgin on 551 and 552, as well as an Amazon Prime add-on. You are also able to stream online and through its dedicated TV app.
It’s a subscription service that is priced at £10.99 per month, with the channel not only showing the final but also over 80 top European Fixtures, including all 63 Champions Cup games, as well as a wealth of domestic rugby across the URC and Top 14.
Which way will it go?
While the bookmakers may have it heavily in favour of Bordeaux, it’s a game that could well go either way come Saturday and it’s certainly going to be a tense match-up, where one bit of star quality could make all the difference. It’d be a huge way to end the season for Saints, but at the same time, those in Bordeaux will be looking to make history ahead of entering their 20th season in the sport.
One thing is for sure, it’s going to be a must-watch!
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