Bordeaux player ratings: Bordeaux-Begles stormed into their first-ever Investec Champions Cup final with a thumping 35-18 win over Toulouse, putting the reigning champions to the sword at a jubilant Matmut Atlantique.
We rate the Bordeaux players:
15. Romain Buros – 8.5A constant threat on kick return and from set-piece launch. Broke the line to set up Bielle-Biarrey’s first try and remained composed under the high ball. The France rookie is one to watch.
14. Damian Penaud – 8Busy from the outset. Beat defenders with ease in the opening half and provided the assist for Bielle-Biarrey’s opener. Limped off in the second half after a strong contribution.
13. Nicolas Depoortere – 7Positionally sound throughout and made good reads defensively. Supported well in attack as Bordeaux’s fifth highest carrier with 32 metres made.
Fixture
Investec Champions Cup
Bordeaux
Toulouse
12. Yoram Moefana – 8Dominated the midfield battle. Consistently got over the gainline and won collisions both sides of the ball.
11. Louis Bielle-Biarrey – 9A constant threat out wide and delivered when it mattered. Took both of his tries with pace and precision, showing excellent support lines and composure. His second, early in the second half, was a momentum-shifter.
10. Matthieu Jalibert – 9Controlled the game superbly and overshadowed France 10 rival Romain Ntamack. Sharp in transition, kicked well from hand, and orchestrated Bordeaux’s attack with poise and variety. A near complete performance in a high-pressure match.
9. Maxime Lucu – 8Bounced back well from early errors. Provided excellent control in the second half, defended with determination and helped manage the closing stages efficiently.
1. Jefferson Poirot – 6.5Anchored the scrum well and worked hard in the carry. Gave away a few avoidable penalties.
2. Maxime Lamothe – 8.5Outstanding display from the hooker. Nailed his throws under pressure, carried with real intent, and was relentless in defence. One of Bordeaux’s most effective and consistent performers across the 80 minutes.
3. Sipili Falatea – 5.5Struggled in the scrum against Cyril Baille and couldn’t quite impose himself physically.
4. Adam Coleman – 7The giant Wallaby put in a big shot on Julian Marchand but left the field after just 27 minutes.
5. Cyril Cazeaux – 8Tackled like a demented zombie, but one of those fast ones from 28 Days Later. One of Bordeaux’s most consistent performers on the day.
6. Mahamadou Diaby – 6Worked hard in the tight exchanges and made his tackles, but didn’t have much influence on the game before being replaced at half-time. Solid but unspectacular.
7. Guido Petti – 6.5Some strong carries and a presence in the lineout, but discipline let him down on a couple of occasions.
8. Pete Samu – 8Powerful showing. Scored the opening try and linked well with his backs, particularly in transition. Got through a big shift before being replaced on the hour.
Replacements:
16. Connor Sa – N/ALate introduction. Not enough time to assess.
17. Matis Perchaud – 7Scrummaged well and kept things steady after replacing Poirot. Lots of aggression.
18. Ben Tameifuna – 8Impactful off the bench. Helped turn the screw at scrum time and finished with a late try to seal the result.
19. Pierre Bochaton – 5.5Scored the final, nail-in-the-coffin try from a well-taken pick-and-go but was inconsistent elsewhere. Conceded a few too many turnovers.
20. Marko Gazzotti – 5Yellow carded shortly after coming on. His physicality was evident, but ill-discipline could have proved costly.
21. Bastien Vergnes Taillefer – 6Brought energy and played his part in shutting down Toulouse’s late momentum.
22. Arthur Retiere – 6Injected pace and width when Bordeaux needed it. Covered well defensively.
23. Joey Carbery – N/AThe former Ireland fly-half came on with the result largely decided. Missed the final conversion.
