# Bordeaux-Bègles overpower Northampton to win Champions Cup final

Event date: 2025-05-24

Bordeaux-Bègles won the Champions Cup final in Cardiff, defeating Northampton Saints 28-20 after a second-half surge that settled a game which had been level at halftime.

BBC Sport described the French side as combining “backline glitter and forward grit” in a final that eventually swung on physical pressure and control after the break. Northampton had actually stayed in touch through the first half, with Alex Coles scoring at either end of the period to keep the score locked at 20-20.

That parity did not last. BBC Sport said Bordeaux’s forwards, including six of the replacements, gradually wore Saints down in the second half. The winning try from second row Cyril Cazeaux came from close range and was the only try of the period, which showed how the French club took the final away from Northampton through sustained pressure rather than a sudden flash of scoring.

The match also highlighted the contrast in styles. Bordeaux’s attack had the ability to create points, but in the final they did not rely on open-field flair alone. The source said their forward power became the decisive factor, allowing them to build enough momentum to turn a tight contest into a title-winning performance.

Northampton’s route to the final had already been impressive. BBC Sport noted that they had upset four-time champions Leinster in the semi-finals, so their presence in Cardiff was not an accident. They arrived with momentum and belief, and for half the game they matched Bordeaux point for point.

But the final reward went to the side that coped better with the full 80 minutes. Once Bordeaux began to assert themselves after the break, Northampton were forced to defend deeper and longer, and the balance moved steadily toward the French champions. The 28-20 scoreline reflected that shift more clearly than the first-half stalemate did.

For Bordeaux-Bègles, the victory was a statement about squad depth and control under pressure. BBC Sport’s account made clear that the bench played a major role, with the replacements helping to sustain the physical edge that eventually proved too much for Northampton. Final rugby often turns on that kind of accumulation, and this one was no different.

Northampton will be left with the sense that they were in the game for long periods, but unable to match Bordeaux when the contest became more attritional. In a final, that is often the moment that decides everything.

The result handed Bordeaux-Bègles the European crown and left Northampton with the frustration of a strong campaign that fell one step short at the end. The final in Cardiff was tight enough to remain competitive for most of the afternoon, but decisive enough in the closing stages to leave no doubt about who finished strongest.