Bath fall to Bordeaux in high-quality Champions Cup semi-final

Bath Rugby’s quest for the Investec Champions Cup came to an end in France on Sunday 3rd May, Johann van Graan’s team falling 38-26 to Union Bordeaux Bègles in the semi-finals.

Bath Rugby will be looking to put their Investec Champions Cup disappointment behind them when they face Exeter Chiefs here at Sandy Park in the Gallagher PREM on Sunday 10th May | Photo © Richard Briggs

In a high-quality match at the sold-out Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Métropole, Bath levelled after the hosts took an early 7-0 lead, only to go 14-7 behind with 15 minutes played.

The visitors added an unconverted try before Bordeaux – who beat Northampton Saints in last year’s final – pulled away to lead 24-12 at the interval.

Bath cut the advantage with a converted try early in the second half but the hosts moved 38-19 ahead to kill the Somerset club’s challenge and maintain their bid to retain the trophy.

Bordeaux scored the game’s first points when Marko Gazzotti charged over from five metres on the left in the second minute, skipper Maxime Lucu converting.

But the Blue, Black & White responded when Will Muir touched down in the left corner after a beautiful kick pass from Ben Spencer in the seventh minute. Finn Russell added the extra points via the right post.

The Top 14 outfit regained the initiative when Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored from six metres in the left corner following a pass by Pablo Uberti in the 15th minute, Lucu successful from the tee.

But Bath hit back again, Muir shrugging off a challenge from Lucu and touching down in the left corner in the 27th minute after receiving the ball from Henry Arundell 22 metres out. Russell’s conversion attempt went wide of the right post.

Another Bordeaux try arrived in the 35th minute, Lucu scoring from short range under the posts and then booting the two points. And the France scrum-half increased the advantage to 24-12 when he kicked a penalty from 10 metres out in front of the posts just before half-time.

However, Louie Hennessey jinked past two defenders to touch down from five metres on the right in the 51st minute and Russell converted to leave Bath only five points behind.

But with Charlie Ewels in the sin bin, Bordeaux responded in the 69th minute when Ben Tameifuna forced his way over from close range under the posts, Lucu converting to make the score 31-19.

And the hosts scored again in the 77th minute, Temo Matiu going over on the left after snapping up the loose ball. Once more Lucu majored.

The last word went to Bath, Tom Carr-Smith scoring on the left – when he seized on the loose ball, dribbled and touched down – and Russell converting.

Van Graan, Bath’s head of rugby, praised Bordeaux and the match officials.

But he believes that several incidents of foul play were missed and the footage was not provided to the television match official by French broadcasters.

“Congrats to UBB, they were the better side,” said van Graan.

“The officials were exceptionally good today.

“I believe that three carries from Alfie Barbeary made direct contact to the head.

“I want to make clear that the better team won on the day.

“But I want to ask why certain things are not picked up when you play away from home in France.

“From my point of view, you want the match officials to know what they’re looking at. Whatever decision a ref makes is the final call.”

Bath starting XV: 1 Beno Obano, 2 Tom Dunn, 3 Thomas du Toit, 4 Quinn Roux, 5 Charlie Ewels, 6 Josh Bayliss, 7 Guy Pepper, 8 Alfie Barbeary, 9 Ben Spencer, 10 Finn Russell, 11 Will Muir, 12 Ollie Lawrence, 13 Louie Hennessey, 14 Henry Arundell, 15 Santi Carreras.

Bath replacements: 16 Kepu Tuipulotu, 17 Francois van Wyk, 18 Vilikesa Sela, 19 Ted Hill, 20 Sam Underhill, 21 Tom Carr-Smith, 22 Tom de Glanville, 23 Miles Reid.

Union Bordeaux Bègles starting XV: 1 Matis Perchaud, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 3 Carlü Sadie, 4 Boris Palu, 5 Adam Coleman, 6 Pierre Bochaton, 7 Cameron Woki, 8 Marko Gazzotti, 9 Maxime Lucu, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 12 Yoram Moefana, 13 Damian Penaud, 14 Pablo Uberti, 15 Salesi Rayasi.

Union Bordeaux Bègles replacements: 16 Gaetan Barlot, 17 Ugo Boniface, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Cyril Cazeaux, 20 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 21 Temo Matiu, 22 Arthur Retiere, 23 Hugo Reus.

In the final – to be played at the San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao on Saturday 23rd May – Bordeaux will take on Leinster Rugby.

The United Rugby Championship side pipped French visitors RC Toulon 29-25 at the Aviva Stadium, Dublin, in their last-four encounter on Saturday 2nd May.

Looking ahead to the big match in Spain, Bielle-Biarrey said: “The main motivation for us is to defend our title – we’re going to give it everything.

“We’ve got last year’s final as experience and that counts for a lot.

“We know what to expect, the context and the pressure there is for that kind of game.

“We’ve also lost key finals [Top 14], so we know how it can swing either way.

“They [Leinster] are the complete outfit. We’ll have to be on it across the park.

“As in any final, it’ll be the side that makes the fewest errors that’ll come through.”

Bath will now turn back their focus to the Gallagher PREM. They will visit Exeter Chiefs in Round 15 on Sunday 10th May (3.30pm).

The Blue, Black & White are second in the table – and Exeter are nine points behind in fourth spot, the last of the play-off places, with Bristol Bears just one point adrift.