At the final whistle, Bordeaux-Begles captain Maxime Lucu walked to the kicking tee and coolly slotted two penalties — the last acts of a performance that had already rendered the result beyond doubt. Bordeaux had retained the Champions Cup with a 45-14 demolition of Leinster at San Mamés Stadium in Bilbao, in front of 52,327 spectators, and in doing so gave France its sixth consecutive victory in European club rugby's premier competition.
The French side scored five tries before half-time. Trailing 7-0 after Leinster winger Tommy O'Brien crossed early, Bordeaux responded with a sequence of ruthless, orchestrated attacks that turned the game on its head. Captain Maxime Lucu burrowed over after Leinster was penalised for offside, then Paolo Uberti finished off a slick play from the resulting scrum. When Louis Bielle-Biarrey — who finished the competition with 10 tries — glided past three defenders to score his first, the comeback was already underway. He added a second before halftime after Damian Penaud pounced on a loose ball, and Yoram Moefana capped the opening period by intercepting a Harry Byrne pass and sprinting clear. Bordeaux led 35-7 at the break.
Leinster, who had not lost a final since lifting their fourth title in 2018, showed resilience after the interval through Joe McCarthy and later Garry Ringrose, but the outcome was never in doubt. It is Bordeaux's second Champions Cup triumph — and the fifth consecutive Champions Cup final defeat for Leinster against French opposition. La Rochelle and Toulouse have also won twice each since 2021.
Bordeaux assistant coach Noel McNamara — who hails from Ireland, a detail that adds a wry edge to the result — said the group had drawn motivation from golfing great Rory McIlroy ahead of the quarter-final. "Good players win one green jacket, great players win two," McNamara told BBC Sport. "They made the decision that one Champions Cup is not enough."
Leinster captain Caelan Doris was gracious in defeat. "You have to credit Bordeaux," he told Premier Sports. "Some of their attack in that first half was incredibly hard to deal with. I'm proud of the boys for the resilience they showed to keep coming back, and no doubt we'll be back better again next year." The Irish side still has domestic silverware to play for this season.
For Bordeaux, this was validation — a second star sewn onto the jersey, and a statement that dominance, once achieved, can be sustained.