Chris & Paul Grayson bring you reaction from Bilbao to another Bordeaux Champions Cup win

From Rory McIlroy to mentality, Bordeaux are leading a golden era as France complete a Six Nations, Champions Cup and Challenge Cup clean sweep.

After their previous European final defeats came down to “fine margins”, Bordeaux’s thrashing of Leinster in Bilbao highlighted a gulf between the sides

Leinster could not contain a team backed by tens of thousands of French supporters chanting with exuberanceThey are in danger of running away with rugby, these French. The Springboks may have something to say about that, but South Africa do not have the Top 14. And they definitely do not have Union Bordeaux-Bègles.Leinster tried to contain them. Leinster, packed with experienced internationals, dripping with silverware, were desperate to avoid yet another agonising defeat in this final. Leinster were rudely introduced to the concept of absolutely crushing defeat. They were destroyed, made to look one-paced by a team of exuberant artistes who play rugby as if they simply love it, as if playing brilliant rugby were the most obvious and natural course of action. Like breathing. Continue reading…

Champions Cup final: Leinster 19-41 BordeauxFrench side run in five first-half tries in comfortable winAnother vintage year for Bordeaux, another bitter final loss for Leinster. On a hot, unforgiving afternoon in Bilbao there was never the slightest doubt who would be hoisting the trophy into a cloudless Basque sky, such was the clear superiority of the reigning champions. Only Leinster have racked up more points in a Champions Cup final and the scoreboard did not lie.That reality will not sit easily with anyone connected with an outgunned Leinster. This was their fifth final defeat in eight years, but there was some mitigation. No club side in the world possesses a sharper attacking edge than Bordeaux nor a deadlier finisher than Louis Bielle-Biarrey. The French wing added another two tries to his tally, which now stands at 34 in 30 games this season, and was later confirmed as the player of the year. Factor in the artistic direction of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert and their back-to-back titles are not remotely a coincidence. Continue reading…