Bordeaux Beat Northampton 28-20 in Champions Cup Final

Northampton Saints faced a heartbreaking 28-20 defeat against Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup final at the Principality Stadium, where the French club secured their first title. Despite early injuries to key players George Furbank and James Ramm, Northampton showed remarkable resilience, with flanker Alex Coles scoring two tries and fly-half Fin Smith contributing with penalties and conversions. Saints battled valiantly, even when reduced to 13 men due to sin bins, and managed to hold Bordeaux to just eight points in the second half, but were ultimately undone by Bordeaux's finishing power, including tries from Damian Penaud and others. Northampton coach Phil Dowson acknowledged the underdog status of his team and praised their collective spirit and determination throughout the campaign and final. The final was a high-intensity contest that highlighted Northampton's defiant spirit and their role in reasserting English club rugby's competitiveness in Europe after years of French dominance. However, the match was marred by physical targeting of standout Northampton player Henry Pollock, including an unsportsmanlike incident after the final whistle.