Semi-final: Bordeaux Bègles 38-26 Bath
Maxime Lucu scores 18 points for holders
Bath had hoped that a return to Bordeaux might rekindle fond memories of their Champions Cup triumph in the city in 1998. Sadly for their cautiously optimistic supporters it was not to be as their hosts moved a big step closer to retaining the trophy they secured at Northampton’s expense in Cardiff last year.
Bordeaux Bègles will face Leinster in the final in Bilbao in three weeks’ time, propelled there by the familiar trio of their brilliant half-backs Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert and their star wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who scored one of his side’s five tries. Will Muir scored a brace in response and the contest was never less than gripping but England’s domestic champions could ultimately have few complaints.
In pretty much every area Bath were valiant and competitive without ever being the total masters of their own destiny. Alfie Barbeary, for example, had hoped this might be his day of days but a few too many errors were mixed in with his eye-catching carries. And against a Bordeaux side who are tough to break down through the middle and exceptionally fleet of foot when the game breaks up, Bath were left to play catch-up on the scoreboard from start to finish.
