Celestine Cooley was 34 years old when she took her first trip to France she and a friend criss-crossed the country and she quickly fell in love with the culture and way of life "The moment we stepped off the train in the train station at Gare du Nord I knew that France was where I was supposed to live," Cooley She's finally made her Francophone dream a reality shortly after retiring from her nearly 50-year career as an executive assistant in Hollywood she's made the southwestern city of Bordeaux her new home She said she's never been happier — and has no desire to move back to the US Living in Los Angeles had become increasingly unaffordable escaping the snowballing cost of living in the US for more affordable lives abroad Cooley got serious about planning the move when the pandemic hit she spent her spare time learning French and researching the logistics of retiring there "I wanted to go somewhere where it's quiet and I could really feel like I'm at peace," she said "I never knew what peace truly felt like until I moved to Bordeaux." The cost of living is also much lower in Bordeaux than in LA Cooley pays 780 euros a month in rent — about $890 — for her small one-bedroom apartment She previously paid nearly $1,300 in Van Nuys life in general is significantly more affordable than it was in LA It doesn't hurt that Bordeaux is also world-famous for its grapes. A self-described "wine-o," Cooley loves to visit various vineyards in the region for wine tastings. She's quickly made lots of new friends, connecting with strangers at the farmers' market and with her neighbors and fellow expats. She's joined two expat social clubs and said her friends are diverse in age and background. She's constantly invited to dinner parties, luncheons, and cultural events. "I find that I'm more active here now than I was back in LA over the last 10 years," she said. And she's felt welcomed by the French people. "As a Black woman, I feel more accepted here in France than I ever felt throughout my over 70 years of living in the United States," she said. "Everything about living here is just better for me, and I know it's better for a lot of people." Over the last year, Cooley has kept her friends and family back in the US updated on her new life with regular Facebook posts. Those reflections have turned into something of a hobby, and now, she's transforming them into a book, titled "A Boomer in Bordeaux." She credits her passion for writing, traveling, and building relationships, as well as her independent, introverted streak, with her happy retirement. "At this time in my life, where most people would say, 'I'm tired, I don't know what else to do,' I can think of plenty to do," Cooley said. "There's so much more that I want to do." Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe London | Some of Bordeaux’s top winemakers have slashed prices for their latest vintage of yet-to-be-bottled wines by more than 30 per cent in a further blow to a centuries-old market as wealthy investors step back from fine wine purchases A poor quality harvest last year due to heavy rainfall and cooler temperatures a large amount of higher quality bottled wine already available on the market and a lack of interest among younger collectors have all made this year’s so-called en primeur campaign a particularly tough one for the French region’s producers SaveLog in or to save articleShareCopy link Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. First-time Champions Cup finalists Bordeaux have suggested that Damian Penaud has a fighting chance of making the May 24 decider versus Northampton – despite appearing to be seriously injured when exiting Sunday’s semi-final Penaud looked to be in agony when he limped out of the win over Toulouse leaving the fray on 57 minutes to be replaced by Arthur Retiere with his team leading at the time by 25-18 The winger’s premature departure didn’t hamper his team as they went on to win 35-18 and progress to the final in Cardiff against the Saints the chat in the immediate aftermath was that the French club would likely miss not having the services of Penaud available not only for the Principality Stadium match but for the run-in to the Top 14 title race A day, though, can be a long time in rugby and the message now coming from Bordeaux is that Penaud potentially has a chance of making the Champions Cup final A report in L’Equipe read: “UBB’s victory against Toulouse on Sunday was marked by Damian Penaud’s tears after his team qualified for the Champions Cup final against Northampton “Coming off just before the hour mark the Bordeaux winger suffered a left ankle injury and his participation in the final As reported by Sud-Ouest and confirmed to L’Equipe And optimism remains high on the Bordeaux side we will have to wait until midweek or the weekend to get a more precise idea of how long Penaud will be out the Bordeaux winger will be able to undergo medical tests While there is little doubt that he will not play in the next two Top 14 matches (away to Montpellier and home to Castres) his participation in the final against the Saints cannot be ruled out who returned to competition after three weeks of absence the Frenchman could be operational in Cardiff.” READ MORE: Five takeaways as ‘rugby genius’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey stars to end champions’ ‘magnificent reign’ Following a pulsating Investec Champions Cup semi-final between Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse here's our winners and losers from Sunday's clash Jordie Barrett is one of three Leinster players nominated for the award Following some impressive performances in the Investec Champions Cup quarter-finals over the past few days France star Louis Bielle-Biarrey struck twice as Bordeaux-Begles came through a monumental all-French semifinal to beat defending champions Toulouse 35-18 on Sunday and book their place in the Champions Cup final it's great to experience moments like this the show was top quality and I'm happy for rugby," said head coach Yannick Bru after Bordeaux-Begles reached their first final in the competition they will face English side Northampton who upset favourites Leinster on Saturday A first #InvestecChampionsCup Final ⭐️@UBBRugby will go for their first star in Cardiff after they beat the defending champions Stade Toulousain by 35 points to 18 👏Catch up with all the action as it happened with the rolling wrap ⬇️ who scored eight tries during the Six Nations to help France to the championship struck either side of halftime at the Stade Matmut No 8 Pete Samu scored the opening try for Bordeaux with replacement lock Pierre Bochaton and prop Ben Tameifuna going over in the second half Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi crossed for Toulouse but they were always struggling to stay with the pace "They're hyper-realistic," Toulouse fly half Romain Ntamack told France 2 "Every time they came into our half they scored tries or penalties They're far from being better than us today but they were much more pragmatic than us." Bru agreed his team had maximised their opportunities "We knew that everything would count," Bru said "When you play Toulouse in the knockout rounds It was a highly-anticipated clash between the two leading sides in France's Top 14 went into the game underpowered with international quartet Antoine Dupont Peato Mauvaka and Blair Kinghorn all out injured They were soon behind when Bordeaux fly-half Matthieu Jalibert launched a counter-attack from a turnover in the fifth minute He flew 50 metres upfield before offloading for Samu to gallop through for the score Jalibert converted and added a penalty before Argentinian full-back Juan Cruz Mallia put Toulouse on the board with a penalty wing Delibes went over in the right corner to bring Toulouse within two points Mallia missed the conversion but popped over a penalty to put Toulouse ahead for the first It only lasted one minute before Bielle-Biarrey benefitted from some superb work by Romain Buros and Damian Penaud to skate through in the left-hand corner France's record try-scorer Penaud later hobbled off with an injured left ankle Scrum-half Maxime Lucu landed an outrageous 58-metre penalty to put Bordeaux 18-10 ahead at halftime and within moments of the restart Bielle-Biarrey struck a second time to give the home side a firm grip on the game Barassi gave Toulouse a foothold with a try in the 55th minute but late efforts from close range from forwards Bochaton and Tameifuna underlined Bordeaux's dominance and sealed their place in the final Toulouse turn to defending their domestic title With four regular-season Top 14 matches left they lead the standings by 10 points and are heading for a first-round playoff bye Bordeaux-Begles are also in position for a bye as they narrowly hold second place "We're going to have to turn things around because the league isn't over yet," said Ntmack "It's always frustrating to go out in the Champions Cup semifinals," he added Bordeaux had raced into a 10-0 lead with a try from Pete Samu and a Matthieu Jalibert penalty, but Toulouse edged 11-10 up with a pair of Juan Cruz Mallia penalties either side of Dimitri Delibes’s try. However, Bielle-Biarrey then lit up the Matmut Atlantique with a moment of brilliance, somersaulting his way over the line after Romain Buros had burst through the Toulouse defence. Read moreWhen the 21-year-old France wing scored a second just 19 seconds into the second half Jalibert converted for a 25-11 lead but Pierre-Louis Barassi capitalised on a visit to the sin-bin for Marko Gazzotti to pull one back for Toulouse and inject some nerves into the finale Pierre Bochaton powered over for a fourth Bordeaux try in the 64th minute and Ben Tameifuna added a late fifth to put Bordeaux into their first Champions Cup final “They had a 10-minute spell of domination and we did not crack We’re so happy to qualify in front of our fans as we’ve been through very tough moments,” said Jalibert referring to Toulouse’s 59-3 win against Bordeaux in the Top 14 final last season Owen Farrell’s hopes of being selected for the British & Irish Lions squad to tour Australia were dealt a blow after he suffered a head injury for Racing 92 in his side’s 29-15 semi-final defeat by Lyon selected at inside-centre for the first time this season instead of his usual fly-half position was forced off after just 19 minutes with the score at 0-0 The 33-year-old England fly-half took a hit to the head from Mickaël Guillard’s hip as he attempted to tackle his opponent Farrell is a three-time Lions tourist and was in contention for a place in father Andy’s squad for this summer even though his debut season at Racing 92 has been affected by a groin injury A 37-man Lions squad will be named on Thursday Free weekly newsletterThe latest rugby union news and analysis Léo Berdeu kicked the first of five penalties to open the scoring for hosts Lyon before Vincent Rattez registered their first try Diego Escobar and Kleo Labarbe both touched down for Racing either side of Beka Saghinadze crossing for Lyon’s second try but it was Berdeu’s kicking which made the difference and set up a Challenge Cup final clash against Bath on 23 May MATCH REPORT: Union Bordeaux-Bègles booked their first Champions Cup Final beating the defending champions Stade Toulousain 35-18 in the semifinal on Sunday Bordeaux-Bègles were absolutely impressive as they outscored Toulouse five tries to two at Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux The victory means that Union Bordeaux-Bègles will face Northampton Saints in the Grand Finale in Cardiff on May 24 An electric start was exactly the order of the day for the hosts In what was their first Champions Cup semifinal since 2021 UBB made it clear that they belonged on the highest stage from the get-go Turning over possession just outside their own 22 UBB struck Stade Toulousain in typical counter-attacking Bordeaux fashion Pete Samu weaved round the final Stade Toulousain defenders to breeze home inside three minutes With the early UBB onslaught under control Stade Toulousain kicked their way back into contention They buffered their score even further on the quarter of an hour mark when a flurry of rucks metres from the in-goal line eventually came good as Dimitri Delibes found space on the right to go over A couple of Juan-Cruz Mallia converted penalties made sure that the Toulouse fans didn’t miss Thomas Ramos’ steady boots too much but UBB made him rue one missed kick as Louis Bielle-Biarrey came good as he always seems to do in this competition All he needed was inches of space to wriggle down the left with his mid-air touchdown seeing the Bordeaux claim the lead back A superbly converted Maxime Lucu penalty from inside his own half extended the UBB advantage to 18-11 as Stade Toulousain had work to do heading in for half-time If UBB were worried about surviving an angry Stade Toulousain pack straight after the break the Bordelais burst straight out the traps thanks to star winger Bielle-Biarrey The youngster burst free inside his own half to cover 50 metres before offloading to Samu The Australian then looped the ball back to him behind the back where the striding winger collected it in space to charge home next to the posts And all that just one minute after the restart Head Coach Yannick Bru’s men didn’t rest on their laurels either backing up their early score with sustained pressure But it was pressure the reigning champions grew used to and one they managed to turn sooner rather than later Pierre-Louis Barassi went through to put an end to wave after wave of Toulouse carries and to bring them to within one score of parity UBB had to weather another mini storm when record-breaking try-scorer Damian Penaud went off but you wouldn’t have noticed they’d lost one of their star players when Pierre Bochaton bullied his way over just after the hour mark to give Bordeaux a healthy 30-18 lead for the final 20 minutes Bru’s troops regained a stranglehold of the swathes of play Even when Stade Toulousain offered moves forward missed passes were signalling it was UBB’s time They properly put the semi to bed just two minutes from time when Ben Tameifuna barged his way over into touch While UBB will get a taste of their first final in the competition Stade Toulousain taste a knockout defeat to a French side in 80 minutes for the first time in 15 outings Yellow card: Marko Gazzotti (Bordeaux-Begles 1 Jefferson PoirotReplacements: 16 Connor Sa 1 Cyril BailleReplacements: 16 Guillaume Cramont Referee: Andrew Brace (Ireland)Assistant Referees: Christophe Ridley (England) Eoghan Cross (Ireland)TMO: Mike Adamson (Scotland) Get weekly Rugby Updates direct to your inbox All the Rugby365 articles and news you love so that's an achievement that won't be missed by us but we know we've got three more games to keep building on that." Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward And will Joe Schmidt be tempted to stick around for Rugby World Cup 2027 Toulouse player ratings: Toulouse’s title reign came to an end on Sunday as Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup final for the first time with a 35-18 win Bereft of some of their superstars, this was not the Toulouse that have dominated European rugby over the last 12 months as plenty of players were outmatched by their opposite man It is back to the Top 14 for Toulouse – where they sit at the top of the ladder – but their campaign to add a seventh star ended miserably 1 Cyril Baille – 6Got the upper hand against the Bordeaux pack during his 48 minutes on the field which Toulouse ultimately could not capitalise on 2 Julien Marchand – 6Back as a starter following Peato Mauvaka’s injury he showed exactly what he brings to the party just minutes into the match with a penalty won in his own 22 Had a performance sprinkled with turnovers 3 Dorian Aldegheri – 6Alongside Baille looked strong at the set-piece and perhaps went off earlier than he should have 4 Thibaud Flament – 7Well-rounded display as ever from the lock in a pack that matched 5 Emmanuel Meafou – 4Coughed up possession which led to Bordeaux’s opening try though it did require a sensational counter-attack from the hosts though Bordeaux made a point of closing him down early 6 Francois Cros – 6Plagued the Bordeaux lineout and got through his work in defence 7 Jack Willis – 7Alongside Marchand the Englishman formed one of the most lethal jackaling duos in the game and they went tit-for-tat with each other with turnovers and penalties won on the west coast At his usual elite level but only managed 65 minutes 8 Alexandre Roumat – 5Got through his share of carries during the 50 minutes he was on the field Overshadowed by his replacement Anthony Jelonch Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in their first ever Investec Champions Cup final with a 35-18 victory over reigning champions Toulouse on Sunday at the Matmut Atlantique 9 Paul Graou – 6Kicked well at times to relieve some pressure off his side. Was turned inside out by Louis Bielle-Biarrey as Bordeaux scored swiftly after the break Started to look a bit more lively as Toulouse began to chase the match but he did not last much longer after that 10 Romain Ntamack – 5Up against his French No.10 rival Matthieu Jalibert his counterpart certainly won their battle but failed to have the influence the Bordeaux star had 11 Dimitri Delibes – 5Opened Toulouse’s try scoring account though much of the work was done inside him Otherwise a fairly quiet display before leaving on the hour mark 12 Pita Ahki – 4There were some bright flashes with some offloads but he was largely neutralised by Yoram Moefana 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi – 7Breezed through the Bordeaux defence early on Rewarded with a try in the second half with yet another silky line 14 Ange Capuozzo – 4Was not necessarily rewarded with breaks or metres but the winger frequently challenged the Bordeaux defence 15 Juan Cruz Mallia – 5Kicked from the tee relatively well in Thomas Ramos’ absence and topped the match for metres carried though it was the opposing back three that made the greatest impact Replacements16 Guillaume Cramont – 5Perhaps could not make the same impact that Marchand could make 17 Rodrigue Neti – 4Some brainless decisions from the replacement, and also put in a limp effort to stop Pierre Bochaton scoring what proved to be the decisive try in the match 18 Joel Merkler – 6Maintained the same strength in the scrum and added some robust carries 19 Clement Verge – 6Enjoyed a busy 15 minutes on the field 20 Anthony Jelonch – 6Brought some impetus from the bench after coming on with some punchy carries 21 Mathis Castro-Ferreira – 5The 21-year-old struggled to make a huge impression during his cameo 22 Naoto Saito – 5Came on with Toulouse staring down the barrel of a defeat and maybe had too big a task to turn the match around 23 Santiago Chocobares – 5Got his hands on the ball but Toulouse looked to have run out of ideas by the time he came on Owen Farrell's hopes of making the British and Irish Lions squad named later this week took a major hit on Sunday at the Stade de Gerland as he was forced from the field early as his Racing 92 side lost to Lyon in the Challenge Cup semi-final News, stats, live rugby and more! Download the new RugbyPass app on the App Store (iOS) and Google Play (Android) now Join free and tell us what you really think Is the Queensland boss the right man to lead Australia forward Northampton Saints found a way of beating the fabled Jacques Nienaber blitz and inflicting another 'horrific' Champions Cup loss on the Leinster giants Warren Gatland forged a sense of togetherness in his 2013 Lions but faced personal 'vitriol' after leaving out a legend Tizzano Conan Porter and Barrett all start in their strongest XV for that game starting Baird over McCarthy would have been a better move too Also unlikely that Byrne or even Frawley are Prender-gassed on the outside by Pollock either Saints were long shots to make up 6 8 & 9 pt deficits on the three teams ahead for bottom spot in the play offs even before Saturday and if Dowson has any smarts particularly with the injuries they’re also carrying Pretty likely that Saints first XV atm has Threeman in the centre with back 3 of Furbs Great to see you recognise that Leinster were at full strength Yes I’d think they’d prefer a England/Saints type match up Really I must say it didn’t seem as though Snyman was really all though and I wondered why he wasn’t just bringing his enthusiasm in off the bench like normal I could imagine him feeling more comfortable in that role I cannot thank CyberPoint enough for their incredible assistance in recovering my stolen Bitcoin I felt utterly defeated and never thought I would see my funds again after reaching out to CyberPoint Recovery Company I was amazed at their professionalism and dedication They successfully helped me recover my stolen funds and I am forever grateful for their support I highly encourage you to contact CyberPoint Recovery Company E.m.a.i.l: support(@)cyberpointrecovery(.)com I cannot thank CyberPoint enough for their incredible assistance in recovering my stolen Bitcoin It was called ‘The Curse of the Great Bambino’ no doubt it was helped by the ridiculousness of giving away Babe fn Ruth “not for things good and right” would be the answer no doubt This will be a very similar question Leinster have to ask themselves It would be enough to kill the belief of a lesser club at a venue like Dublin I hope we have segued here to the Premiership lol They ran for 147 metres more than the hosts on 41 fewer carries That’s how New Zealand teams used to be able to play scoring tries from anywhere in their own half with very little ball often even less than the 40% Saints had this game None of which will bother Dowson and his charges Don’t they now have three must win games in the Premiership How are they going to balance those are a Champions Cup Final I’m not sure I agree with the referee bottling it and putting away his whistle at the end In Super rugby theyve been starting to play their hands a lot more and using the TMO It’s increased the accuracy of the contest but also brought back in the howlers like going back 10 phases to a knock on that wasn’t even a knock on I just don’t understand why they can’t get it right but that’s pretty much the same perspective placed on Cullen right Duck by name and duck by nature You really love ducking a question don’t you? When all the players competing for the back three positions are fit….who starts? Freeman on one wing and either Ramm or Hendy on the other with Seabrook or Sleightholme competing as well Therefore they had two of the three starting Nobody was calling Hendy a second rate B team player i know you are twisting the topic of conversation rather than acknowledge you were exaggerating on the original topic I agree England are the 2nd best team up North now…still a young team with a lot of growth yet The fact that Aussie have the belief after their victory at Twickenham bodes well be interesting to see the make up of the team by Farrell Alun Wyn Jones showed in the 3rd test what captaincy is all about The Wallabies were smashed up front and it didn’t matter who played at centre A most excellent comment. BOTNET CRYPTO RECOVERY is a global leader in cross-border crypto asset recovery With a vast network of partners—including major exchanges and cybersecurity firms across North America and Asia—they can quickly freeze stolen assets across multiple jurisdictions preventing fraudsters from moving funds internationally Their team has deep expertise in the legal and regulatory complexities of cryptocurrency recovery enabling swift action even in offshore and multi-country cases working closely with law enforcement and financial institutions to maximize recovery chances Whether dealing with fake investment schemes BOTNET CRYPTO RECOVERY provides effective solutions to reclaim lost assets When will the coaching staff realise that they need to do something different at this point Yes thats what I see from all the way over hear they’ve believed they haven’t had the players but even that is possible more adding to rather than changing He’s obviously changing things on the field though which is why we all pretty much didn’t expect results from them this year and definitely with the sort of encouraging results that make you believe you’re on the right track Would be a superb outfit if they put that all together with trying to find a better way to manage the unique challenge of having a national representee team as your make up I can only imagine what problems the old Auckland Blues team would have encountered but they might want to look at the Crusaders example While not the same scope the Crusaders star players were key All Blacks who often just meandered through the season and that affected results but were always able to turn it on at the back end when it counted Don't mean SA getting kicked out of Europe altogether I mean SA withdrawing from Europe to get out of a 12 month season when playing in URC seems to be having an impact on the Springboks Confronted with that its entirely possible SA would re-enter a restructured SR or create its own entirely domestic comp then seek international club play on a Champions Cup type basis with its domestic teams having 20 plus scheduled games a season it'll achieve all its financial/popularity/competitiveness goals without having to go for a 12 month season Not good if he can’t play well off the bench lol I have him down as my super sub We’re all just waiting for you to comment on something other than everything Canterbury You are boredom maximus and just can’t see it Hilarious richer countries have been announcing the death of NZ rugby since rugby first became an international sport and NZ started beating the crap out of the Northern hemisphere teams There is so much resentment and hatred and frustration that NZ rugby It'll be there for the next twenty years Biggest issue was the selection they got it totally wrong and the most likely reason for it was over confidence The same arrogance that saw them off the boil emotionally and lacking in the intensity required to combat Northampton’s ferocious start All of which led them to a point where they were unable to execute at the death and capitalise on the clear advantages held at that stage Leinster got exactly what they deserved from that match and it was very amusing to watch Kearney squirming post match Essential digital access to quality FT journalism on any device Complete digital access to quality FT journalism with expert analysis from industry leaders Complete digital access to quality analysis and expert insights complemented with our award-winning Weekend Print edition Terms & Conditions apply Discover all the plans currently available in your country See why over a million readers pay to read the Financial Times The Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux, France, will be the epicenter of French rugby this weekend, as two of the country's heavyweight contenders, UBB Rugby and Toulouse collide in the Investec Champions Cup semifinals. Host Union Bordeaux-Begles is in uncharted territory having never reached this stage of Europe's premier club competition. UBB will be buoyed by the opportunity to topple reigning champion Toulouse having steamrolled their way through the quarterfinals. With a galaxy of international stars on both sides only one team can move on to the Investec Champions Cup final Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup semifinals: ET on May 4 at Stade Matmut-Atlantique in Bordeaux. Bordeaux Begles vs. Toulouse in the Investec Cup Semifinals will be streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States and all of North America. Substitutes: 16. Connor Sa, 17. Matis Perchaud, 18. Ben Tameifuna, 19. Pierre Bochaton, 20. Marko Gazzotti, 21. Bastien Vergnes Taillefer, 22. Arthur Retiere, 23. Joey Carbery Substitutes: 16. Guillaume Cramont, 17. Rodrigue Neti, 18. Joel Merkler, 19. Clement Verge, 20. Anthony Jelonch, 21. Mathis Castro-Ferreira, 22. Naoto Saito, 23. Santiago Chocobares The 2025 Investec Champions Cup final will take place Saturday, May 24 at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. Key points of the 2024-2025 Investec Champions Cup: FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. Get the most important Rugby stories delivered straight to your inbox. ©2006 - Present FloSports, Inc. All rights reserved. UBB 35-18 Toulouse: The superstar French wing scored twice to set up a meeting with Northampton as Toulouse’s title defence came to an end I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our Privacy notice A sparkling showing from Louis Bielle-Biarrey helped Bordeaux-Begles end Toulouse’s defence of the Investec Champions Cup and set up a final meeting with Northampton Bielle-Biarrey, named Six Nations player of the tournament after a sublime campaign that helped France secure the title continued his excellent club season with a two-try performance conjuring a crucial score out of nothing at the start at the second half The 21-year-old phenom had already scored his first by that point tumbling in acrobatically after a Romain Buros break to extend the hosts’ lead before the break Toulouse rallied through a Pierre-Louis Barassi try and Bordeaux-Begles lost young back row Marko Gazzotti to a yellow card but late scores from Pierre Bochaton and Ben Tameifuna made certain of a 35-18 victory A fabulous atmosphere was created with plenty of supporters from both teams filling the cavernous Stade Matmut Atlantique on the outskirts of Bordeaux for a meeting of the top two sides in the Top 14 But then came two moments of magic from Bielle-Biarrey, causing havoc alongside club-and-country wing colleague Damian Penaud again The youngster has now scored 30 tries in just 26 games in a superlative season Toulouse threatened a trademark second-half surge but passed off a number of opportunities as Bordeaux fought fiercely at the breakdown with replacement lock Bochaton scoring 15 minutes from time before enormous tighthead Tameifuna bashed over to make certain of victory Bordeaux-Begles will take on Northampton, who stunned Leinster in the other Champions Cup semi-final on Saturday, in Cardiff on 24 May hoping to secure their first European title. Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies One person was injured after someone opened fire at a house on Doak Avenue in Bordeaux Police are still searching for the suspect Metro Nashville Police are investigating after approximately 48 shell casings were found outside a home where gunfire erupted early this morning Witnesses report hearing gunshots around 4 a.m One person sleeping inside the home was injured during the incident Neighbors told police they did not hear a vehicle leaving the scene after the gunfire suggesting the shooter may have fled on foot Metro Nashville Police are continuing their investigation to identify the shooter and determine a motive for the attack This story was reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy Rebecca: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/a2/d9/fb69982545c59e9836fbe80fe431/rebecca-recommends.png Carrie: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/2e/72/be0f23854c54a228c9d6138c9847/carrie-recommends-header.png Ben: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/df/c4/19fa7c504480938f39a431e3b276/ben-recommends-header.png Rhori: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/5b/25/a224d13d47739165c92b94e643db/rhori-recommends-header.png Lelan: https://ewscripps.brightspotcdn.com/af/54/833bf879454097a398bd44f723de/lelan-recommends.png I'm not sure there is a story that's brought a bigger smile to our faces than this one celebrating Ms The story of her service during World War II is amazing in itself — she is a true Rosie the Riveter What was also amazing was to see was how an entire community turned out to celebrate her FRANCE STAR LOUIS Bielle-Biarrey struck twice as Bordeaux-Begles came through a monumental all-French semi-final to defeat defending champions Toulouse 35-18 and book their place in the Champions Cup final they will face English side Northampton who stunned favourites Leinster on Saturday struck either side of half-time at the Stade Matmut to tee up Bordeaux to their first ever Champions Cup final That is some Bordeaux Bègles try! 🤯Flying start to the second half for the hosts as Bielle-Biarrey scores within 20 seconds 🟣#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/N3aJ91wlzy It was a highly-anticipated clash between the two leading sides in France’s Top 14 by virtue of the bonus point that Toulouse failed to register against Durban-based Sharks wing Delibes went over in the right hand corner to bring Toulouse within two points France’s record try-scorer Penaud later hobbled off with an injured left ankle Scrum-half Maxime Lucu landed an outrageous 58-metre penalty to put Bordeaux 18-10 ahead at half-time and within moments of the restart – © AFP 2025 To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Access to the comments facility has been disabled for this user Create an email alert based on the current article Top two sides in French Top 14 meet at Matmut Atlantique in Bordeaux for place in final against Northampton Saints Bordeaux score first-half tries through Samu and Bielle-Biarrey; Toulouse respond through Delibes Barassi gets second Toulouse try after break but Bielle-Biarrey Bochaton and Tameifuna deliver huge win for hosts So Bordeaux-Begles have ended Toulouse's reign as champions of Europe They will face Northampton Saints in this season's final on 24 May in Cardiff You can read our full report from the all-French semi-final here 152Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingMan-of-the-match - Matthieu Jalibertpublished at 16:59 British Summer Time 4 May16:59 BST 4 MayFT: Bordeaux-Begles 35-18 Toulouse Bordeaux's Matthieu Jalibert was awarded man-of-the-match for his display from the boot and with ball in hand 221Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 16:55 British Summer Time 4 May16:55 BST 4 MayFT: Bordeaux-Begles 35-18 Toulouse how badly did Toulouse miss the likes of Antoine Dupont They still had lots of quality on the field but you have to think having those three experienced Test stars would've only benefited them 334Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 16:49 British Summer Time 4 May16:49 BST 4 MayFT: Bordeaux-Begles 35-18 Toulouse Bordeaux-Begles have reached their debut Champions Cup final The one negative for the Top 14 side was the loss of Damian Penaud to injury in the second half The France wing hobbled off and looked teary at the full-time whistle 266Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingFull-time - Bordeaux-Begles 35-18 Toulousepublished at 16:46 British Summer Time 4 May16:46 BST 4 MayFive-try Bordeaux-Begles have beaten Toulouse They will face Northampton Saints in this season's Champions Cup final 816Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTry - Bordeaux-Begles 35-18 Toulousepublished at 78 mins78 minsBen Tameifuna Man-mountain Ben Tameifuna smashes his way over the line with a couple of his teammates on his hip for good measure Toulouse's title defence is surely over now 7610Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 76 mins76 minsBordeaux-Begles 30-18 Toulouse Former Toulouse wing Arthur Retiere is the thorn in the side of the champions The diminutive back wins the turnover at the breakdown and that might be that 253Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 73 mins73 minsBordeaux-Begles 30-18 Toulouse The red shirts roll through the phases but Bordeaux stand firm before winning the penalty deep inside their own territory The clock is ticking on Toulouse's reign 3211Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 70 mins70 minsBordeaux-Begles 30-18 Toulouse and the last pass goes missing from Ange Capuozzo Toulouse flood forward and are nearly in down the left but Capuozzo throws the ball into touch 1815Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 67 mins67 minsBordeaux-Begles 30-18 Toulouse Toulouse are struggling for ideas now and they need an impetus from somewhere Bordeaux players and fans alike are enjoying themselves in the sunshine 2511Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingTry - Bordeaux-Begles 30-18 Toulousepublished at 64 mins64 minsPierre Bochaton Matthieu Jalibert's monster kick hands Bordeaux the platform to launch a line-out routine and the forwards do the rest Pierre Bochaton powers over from close range to hand the hosts a 12-point lead 8115Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 62 mins62 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-18 Toulouse Parity is restored on the field as Marko Gazzotti returns from the naughty step 246Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 60 mins60 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-18 Toulouse There is only going to be one winner when Rodrigue Neti collides with Romain Buros The Bordeaux full-back manages to get his kick away before being thumped by the replacement prop but the referee is happy Neti used his arms and was already committed to the tackle 187Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 57 mins57 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-18 Toulouse Damian Penaud is hobbling off the field to a standing ovation It looks serious and it's a big blow to Bordeaux 2228Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConverted Try - Bordeaux-Begles 25-18 Toulousepublished at 54 mins54 minsPierre-Louis Barassi (con Juan Cruz Mallia) It's a first-phase strike move from the scrum as Pierre-Louis Barassi cuts an excellent line through the heart of the Bordeaux defence 4011Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingSin-bin - Marko Gazzotti (Bordeaux-Begles)published at 52 mins52 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-11 Toulouse Bordeaux will play the next 10 minutes with 14 players Marko Gazzotti is in the bin for trying to disrupt Toulouse's attack at the breakdown The champions are pushing for a way back into this semi-final 159Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 50 mins50 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-11 Toulouse The television camera has just panned to Antoine Dupont and Thomas Ramos who are are watching the game together in the stands What Toulouse would give to be able to call on that pair now 250Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 48 mins48 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-11 Toulouse The next score feels like it will be crucial 213Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingPostpublished at 44 mins44 minsBordeaux-Begles 25-11 Toulouse Most sides would be shell-shocked by that blistering start to the second half by Bordeaux But this is Toulouse and they are not the most successful side in the competition's history by chance 293Shareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingConverted Try - Bordeaux-Begles 25-11 Toulousepublished at 40 mins40 minsLouis Bielle-Biarrey (con Matthieu Jalibert) Bordeaux are in as Louis Bielle-Biarrey makes the break close to the touchline The wing feeds Pete Samu on the inside before getting back with a clever reverse pass for a run-in under the posts here’s our winners and losers from Sunday’s clash at Matmut Atlantique It had a mighty job to match the entertainment that Leinster v Northampton Saints provided yesterday but Bordeaux and Toulouse certainly provided a similar spectacle A semi-final played at an incredibly high pace with glorious running rugby, big hits and tries to boot, these two teams put on quite a show for Champions Cup viewers Now has eight tries in the tournament this season which is stunning on its own but throw in that making it 29 tries in 26 matches this season and it’s just getting silly The finish for his first crossing was acrobatic but the second try was even better as he contributed twice in the lead-up before he raced under the posts They might not be France’s number one number two but Maxime Lamothe and Julien Marchand would probably stroll in to many Test sides as their starting hooker Both were an absolute nuisance at the breakdown and rugged around the field with Lamothe in particular impressing every time he plays in Europe and the Top 14 Definitely won his individual battle with Romain Ntamack and it was clear he was fired up for this game as he and Maxime Lucu steered the ship in the right direction His running and kicking game were on point and he will be desperate to bottle this performance with such crucial matches just around the corner for this special team Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse: Five takeaways as ‘rugby genius’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey stars to end champions’ ‘magnificent reign’ Another barnstorming performance from the Wallabies number eight as he looks to sign off from Bordeaux with silverware and he’s now one game away from doing just that He grabbed the first try of the semi-final after running a smart support line and was strong thereafter with Bordeaux’s back-row getting one over their opposite numbers What a sad sight to see the great France and Bordeaux entertainer helped from the field by two medical staff on 57 minutes with what looked like an injury to his lower leg Penaud has been a shining light for Bordeaux-Begles this season as he has oozed class with every touch and rugby fans will now hope it’s not a serious and long-term issue Toulouse player ratings v Bordeaux: Enforcer ‘bottled up and too easily contained’ but he wasn’t alone in being ‘well below par’ As mentioned he came off second best in his battle with Jalibert and it was clear that missing Antoine Dupont and Thomas Ramos hurt him from a playmaking viewpoint Ntamack never gave up the fight despite his struggles alongside Paul Graou A watching Dupont was sorely missed for his talents and how he takes the weight off him at 10 The Australia and Tonga international forward had his game cut short after 28 minutes when he got his head in an awkward position whilst attempting to make a tackle Coleman never looked like passing a HIA as he walked down the tunnel and so it proved but the silver lining of today is he has a Champions Cup final to look forward to The Toulouse man mountain was well contained by Bordeaux as they stopped him at source and harried him all afternoon thus negating his potential impact in the carry The sight of Roumat being clattered back by Lucu after he attempted to pick from the base summed up a disappointing day at the office for the Toulouse number eight READ MORE: Bordeaux-Begles player ratings v Toulouse: Matthieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey lead the way while Wallabies star also shines First-time Champions Cup finalists Bordeaux have suggested that Damian Penaud has a fighting chance of making the May 24 decider versus Northampton After an impressive 35-18 triumph over Toulouse in their Investec Champions Cup encounter at the Matmut Atlantique here’s how the Bordeaux-Begles squad performed on Sunday 15 Romain Buros: The 27-year-old was in the thick of the action from the outset as he gave his side good attacking momentum from the back and was brave under the high ball throughout 14 Damain Penaud: Although he did not cross the whitewash France’s leading Test try-scorer delivered a superb attacking performance and delivered a well-timed pass to Louis Bielle-Biarrey Penaud limped off with a leg injury in the 56th minute and was replaced by Arthur Retiere but made his mark with his brilliance on attack 13 Nicolas Depoortere: He came into Bordeaux’s starting line-up as a replacement for Pablo Uberti and gave a good account of himself as he asked some questions of Toulouse’s defence 12 Yoram Moefana: The Les Bleus star caught the eye with some deft offloads and excellent defensive reads during a fine all-round performance He also competed ferociously at the breakdowns 10 Matthieu Jalibert: Went head-to-head with Les Bleus rival Romain Ntamack and won that battle quite comfortably in the end Jalibert went to the line brilliantly and provided plenty of headaches to Toulouse’s defence He showed his class with a superb 30-metre run and a deft offload to Samu who crossed for a try and continued to unlock his opponents’ defence at will which saw him being named as the official man of the match 9 Maxime Lucu: The France star combined brilliantly with Jalibert and showed why he is so highly rated as he controlled the tempo of the game His decision making was superb throughout and put his outside backs on the front foot with his excellent service Leinster v Northampton: Five takeaways as ‘heroic’ Saints condemn ‘champions elect’ to ‘another year of hurt’ in Champions Cup classic 8 Pete Samu: The Wallabies star was one of Bordeaux’s star performers as he was brilliant on attack which saw him rewarded with a deserved try while he also caught the eye with an outrageous offload to Bielle-Biarrey 7 Guido Petti: The experienced Argentina utility forward got through plenty of work in the tight exchanges as he put his body on the line on defence and won his fare share of balls in the lineouts 6 Mahamadou Diaby: The veteran back-row delivered a solid performance as he emptied the tank on defence and attack during a 40-minute performance before being replaced by exciting youngster Marko Gazzotti 5 Cyril Cazeaux: The 30-year-old did what was expected of him in the lineouts was a willing ball carrier and caught the eye with some big defensive hits 4 Adam Coleman: The veteran second-row made little impact during a 28-minute stint on the field and was forced off after failing a HIA following a tackle on Julien Marchand 3 Sipili Falatea: Toulouse held the upper hand at the scrums for most this match and Falatea was on the back foot at the set-piece on several occasions Apart from that he impressed on defence before being replaced by Ben Tameifuna in the 54th minute 2 Maxime Lamothe: The 26-year-old did what was expected of him in the execution of his core duties but put plenty of pressure on the opposition at the breakdowns where he won two turnovers Also did well with ball in hand before being replaced by Connor Sa after 70 minutes 1 Jefferson Poirot: Like his fellow prop Falatea the France international had some shaky moments in the scrums but did well on defence especially at close quarters Was eventually yanked off in the 53rd minute with Matis Perchaud replacing him Replacements: UBB’s replacements gave a good account of themselves and maintained the high standards of the players who they replaced Burly front-row Tameifuna was the standout performer off the bench as he caught the eye with several strong carries and was rewarded with a try for his efforts while he also won two turnovers at the breakdowns Gazzotti also gave his all in the latter department but was yellow carded when he played the ball on the ground in the 52nd minute while Bochaton also crossed for a try Arthur Retiere was the best of the backline reserves as he made some fine line breaks READ MORE: Lyon v Racing 92: Five takeaways as rookie France bruiser shines against visitors who rue Owen Farrell’s early exit Following a breathtaking two days of semi-final action in Europe it's time for James While to select our Investec Champions Cup Team of the Week Following a 35-18 victory for Bordeaux-Begles against Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final here's our five takeaways from Sunday's game It's quarter-final time in the Champions Cup and huge games are set to take place on Friday Saturday and Sunday as teams battle to make the last four The Men's Six Nations Player of the Championship has been named Los Pumas flanker Guido Petti was full of praise for the brilliance of his own backline as Bordeaux claimed a spot in the Investec Champions Cup final Petti pointed to the way that Bordeaux had targeted the Toulouse breakdown dominance as key to his team’s historic win at Matmut Atlantique The 87-cap Test veteran said Bordeaux were patently aware of the dominance that the Toulouse back-row need to strut their magic and that all of the talk in the lead-up was how UBB could react to that and turn it to an advantage “We knew the point of contact was really the key of the match. And yes, we knew they had players like Jack Willis, Julien Marchand and Francois Cros and that they wanted to steal every f***ing ball going in every breakdown and in the point of contact,” Petti explained “So this became a main focus for us and the key was our timing It was about the speed to own the space and to get into the carrier at the exact moment he received the ball “You saw that work early on against Emmanuel Meafou – his dropped ball that went into transition and then Matthieu Jalibert works his magic and we go seven up at the other end of the pitch – but the catalyst from that was the hit and the timing of the tackle on Emmanuel that turned the ball over initially “And we also wanted to be stronger with our back-rows and our centres also getting to fight for the goals in the point of contact we came out as the winner – which says a lot about the timing I spoke about And also we knew that we needed to have the ball to play and leave our superstars in the backline to enjoy and express themselves “I think when we get to dominate the point of contact rugby becomes a much easier job and that helps us greatly for sure.” Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse: Five takeaways as ‘rugby genius’ Louis Bielle-Biarrey stars to end champions’ ‘magnificent reign’ Bordeaux-Begles v Toulouse winners and losers: Damian Penaud departure a ‘sad sight’ for viewers who enjoy ‘glorious’ Champions Cup weekend He added: “That came from that timing piece I referred to real precision hits precisely at the right moment and that got us proper front foot momentum.” Petti and his cronies now have a date with Northampton Saints in the final in Cardiff on May 24 Petti admits that the result surprised him and his UBB colleagues but he remains very circumspect as to the challenge the East Midlands outfit will pose We know Northampton is a great team and we’ve seen it yesterday,” he said “They dominated the Leinster breakdown and were really good with their defence You can see the amazing players that they have “I think it’s not a surprise – we saw them along all of the Champions Cup So we need to prepare the best match possible to get to play this final READ MORE: Bordeaux-Begles player ratings v Toulouse: Matthieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey lead the way while Wallabies star also shines Toulouse’s Champions Cup title defence entertainingly ended at the semi-final stage as Bordeaux the French rival they annihilated in last year’s Top 14 final produced a steeled hometown performance to fully merit their progress to the European decider against Northampton on May 24 Here is how we rated Ugo Mola’s dethroned side in their 18-35 defeat 15 Juan Cruz Mallia: Not to blame for his team’s loss as he was a safe enough pair of hands in stepping up to replace the injured Thomas Ramos Was three from four off the kicking tee for a 10-point contribution but couldn’t wield influence from deep in general play 14 Ange Capuozzo: Can’t fault his enthusiasm as he was regularly jigging and jiving and looking for space that proved too elusive to find Deserves kudos for the dextrous way he retained possession in the lead-up to the opening Toulouse try when manhandled like a rag doll on the floor but he was defensively loose as seen in the way he rashly bit in when unsuccessfully defending the 23rd-minute Louis Bielle-Biarrey try 13 Pierre-Louis Barassi: Had some nice moments, including a show of fancy footwork to leave Matthieu Jalibert as he danced his way to a 53rd-minute try. Was initially the first Toulouse player to test the Bordeaux defence in the opening minutes blasting through an early gap and offloading but what followed next typified his team’s overall effort as the ball was lost elsewhere and the resulting counter ended in a try 12 Pita Ahki: An afternoon to forget for the midfielder who didn’t stamp authority on the exchanges His lax defending for the opening Bordeaux try was especially questionable 11 Dimitri Delibes: The history books will show that he scored the first of his team’s two semi-final tries but that 15th-minute finish was a fleeting highlight in a mostly anonymous performance 10 Romain Ntamack: His injured-weakened team needed him to step up on some timid recent displays but he was far too easily eclipsed by the excellent Jalibert such as the smart shuffle-on in the creation of the first Toulouse try and some of his touch-finder kicking but he was well below par for a fixture of this magnitude Who will join Northampton Saints in the 2025 #InvestecChampionsCup Final Watch LIVE on @francetvsport, @beinsports_FR, @PremSportsTV, @FloRugby and @SuperSportTV 📺 pic.twitter.com/IAyh0SPFJh — Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 4, 2025 8 Alexandre Roumat: He simply didn’t feature where it most mattered There was one delicious sleight of hand pass to Ntamack to create space nearing the interval but he essentially brought a water pistol to this gunfight and got blown away 7 Jack Willis: It’s a good job that he has plenty of credit in the bank as regards British and Irish Lions squad selection as he was another of the Toulouse back-row eclipsed by a more enthusiastic Bordeaux combination His breakdown penalty concession allowed the opposition to stretch their early lead to 10 points and his opening half ended with a cheap knock-on at a scruffy lineout play 6 Francois Cros: Usually a standout player regardless of the situation but his card was well and truly marked by a Bordeaux pack who had their homework expertly done on limiting the impact of this glue Toulouse player to nothing more than couple of inconsequential lineout turnovers 5 Emmanuel Meafou: Similar to how RG Snyman stank out the Aviva Stadium with a very ineffective performance in Leinster’s semi-final loss on Saturday Toulouse’s enforcer was also bottled up and too easily contained Looked to have set the tone with a cracking tackle on Guido Petti He spilled the ball on the next play when hit by Sipili Falatea resulting in a Bordeaux try on the counterattack 4 Thibaud Flament: The Robin to the Batman reputation accorded to Meafou he stepped up and played way better than his more illustrious partner While his holding on resulted in penalty points for Lucu on 28 minutes he produced plenty of grunt and it was his cracking break that resulted in Marko Gazzotti’s yellow card on 53 minutes which presented Toulouse with a lifeline they couldn’t fully grasp 3 Dorian Aldegheri: Played his part in getting Toulouse back into the contest after a slack start; it was his carry that prompted the infringement that earned his team the points for their 11-10 lead on 21 minutes while the scrum wielded an edge nearing the break but he was only given nine second-half minutes 2 Julien Marchand: Initially looked on track for an excellent day The lineout was functioning in the way it didn’t in the quarter-final at Toulon while there was also a couple of penalty-winning poaches to stem the early Bordeaux surge the skipper’s influence gradually waned and it said much that he was taken off with them 12 points down and short on ideas with 15 minutes left 1 Cyril Baille: The scrum wasn’t the result-deciding factor he would have liked it to have been as happened three weeks earlier at Stade Mayol There was a penalty win at a 38th-minute set-piece but that was the height of a day cut short by his 49th-minute substitution Replacements: With Toulouse trailing 11-25 they went to their bench on 49 minutes with a triple change that sent props Rodrigue Neti and Joel Merkler into the action along with Anthony Jelonch They all made an immediate impact in cutting the gap to seven points although Neti appeared fortunate to escape punishment for one foul-looking tackle Santiago Chocobares arrived next on the hour mark but Neti soon erred in not going low enough to stop a try Clement Verge and Mathis Castro-Ferreira didn’t remedy the emergency READ MORE: Owen Farrell’s final British and Irish Lions audition lasts just 19 minutes after he started the game ‘really well’ Francois Cros backs Jack Willis for British and Irish Lions selection and reflects on the Champions Cup defeat to Bordeaux Jack Willis confirms what he will be doing during Andy Farrell's squad announcement after reviewing a 'gut punch' defeat Bordeaux-Begles and Toulouse have named strong matchdays squads for their Investec Champions Cup semi-final at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday here’s our five takeaways from Sunday’s game The king is dead as proud champions of Europe finally came to the end of their magnificent reign as Bordeaux defeated them in an epic encounter on the Atlantic Coast Five tries came from Pete Samu, Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2) Pierre Bochaton and Ben Tameifuna as Bordeaux overcame set-piece issues to deliver knockout blows in the backline from a glittering array of talent led by the brilliance of Matthieu Jalibert and the pragmatism of Maxime Lucu Toulouse stayed in the fight as long as they could grabbing two tries through Dmitri Delibes and Pierre Louis Barassi but there’s little doubt that their ever lengthening injury list took a toll on their depth and effectiveness in attack Bordeaux have booked themselves a final place against Northampton Saints on May 24 in Cardiff overturning the popular fan and pundit opinions that suggest this season would see a repeat of Leinster against Toulouse one that underlined the standard of both Top 14 and European and the 42,000 lucky enough to witness it will go home fully satisfied that both teams left nothing out there on the immaculate Matmut pitch There’s always been a question about the mental frailties of Bordeaux – a parallel theme with the emotionally driven precocity of their mercurial fly-half both myths were laid to rest as Jalibert delivered a brilliant display to steer his team home But with opponents of the calibre of Toulouse you won’t beat them many times unless your forwards front up and UBB did exactly that led by a storming performance from hooker Maxime Lamothe who grabbed three crucial turnovers in a fantastically mobile display around the park Guido Petti was a towering carrying presence there to straighten things up and clear messes when his team most needed it Cyril Cazeaux and Mahamadou Diaby also delivering some big moments whilst much will be talked about in terms of the brilliance of Jalibert this was a win that came from the work of the big men up front men that lost both set-piece battles but hung on for dear life around ruck and breakdowns to take their team home and to glory The 2024/25 Investec Champions Cup semi-final round provided an electric match in Dublin on Saturday and it seems that both UBB and Toulouse decided to continue exactly where Leinster and Saints left off in their epic tussle A packed Matmut Stadium reached a crescendo as once again France showed that no country does club rugby better than they do and the players responded to their fans fervour with a thrill a minute first half Bordeaux clearly had spent a lot of time focusing on two key themes; competing against the brilliance of Francois Cros Jack Willis and Julien Marchand at ruck time and working a way to stop the human planet that is Emmanuel Meafou The visitors are prone to use Meafou as their banker to drive out and exit under pressure but the big lock wasn’t at his best in terms of handling so the second -ow knocked forward in contact Nicolas Deportiere threw a magnificent 30m pass in transition and Jalibert simply ignited the afterburners to gas the entire scrambling Toulouse defence to set up on the five metre rugby played at the highest pace and with exquisite handling skills under pressure and a couple of moments later the visitors replied as a lineout maul gave Romain Ntamack the space to come around on the loop and fire a lovely pass for Delibes to cross on the right flank Bielle-Biarrey is in danger of emptying dictionaries in terms of available superlatives this year and once again he created a try that will feature on virtually every highlights reel of the season he gassed around the wide Toulouse defence before dummying and cutting back to go through one of the world’s finest and best organised systems as if it wasn’t there It was a moment where the whole stadium simply watching in amazement at a man who is fast becoming the best winger in the game – and given the competition around at this moment in time in the game The little maestro might not have Penaud’s ability to find work from nowhere but there’s a classical shape in the manner he plays – a perfect foil to finish the brilliance of the UBB midfield creativity as a scything run by Romain Buros through the middle of the visitors defence allowed UBB to camp on the line creating the pressure that saw the defence get narrow – and Bielle-Biarrey needed no second invitation to cartwheel over in the corner It was a sumptuous display by a world class exponent of his art – and whether you are a red and black or a claret and blue you could do nothing more than stand and applaud a true rugby genius at the top of his game Stade Toulousain have ruled rugby for a glorious period and if there’s one thing you wouldn’t accuse them of is lacking backline firepower with an injury list as long as the Channel Tunnel one that includes superstars of the game like Antoine Dupont the finesse and hallmark direct line attacking of the champions was simply not at the levels that they themselves set It was a bridge too far for them in rugby terms proud title holders that simply had nothing left in their legs to give as the pressure of a long season and the absence of so many world class performers left them short of the cutting edge needed to unlock the brilliant Bordeaux defensive effort the brilliant double act of Cros and Willis gave absolutely everything putting in shifts from the highest possible drawer but then a monumental impact performance from Anthony Jelonch did everything they could to keep their Champions Cup record intact – but despite the set-piece dominance the simple truth was the Bordeaux backs simply had too much variety and ambition for a generational Toulouse side that have been wonderful and worthy champions READ MORE: Investec Champions Cup 2024/25: Finalists decided, kick-off time, venue and date confirmed How Bordeaux-Begles' players rated in their Investec Champions Cup semi-final triumph over Toulouse at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday 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 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 10. Matthieu Jalibert – 9Controlled the game superbly and overshadowed France 10 rival Romain Ntamack 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 2. Maxime Lamothe – 8.5Outstanding display from the hooker 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 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 Got through a big shift before being replaced on the hour 16. Connor Sa – N/ALate introduction 17. Matis Perchaud – 7Scrummaged well and kept things steady after replacing Poirot 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 20. Marko Gazzotti – 5Yellow carded shortly after coming on 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 23. Joey Carbery – N/AThe former Ireland fly-half came on with the result largely decided Toulouse player ratings: Toulouse's title reign came to an end on Sunday as Bordeaux-Begles booked their place in the Investec Champions Cup final for the first time with a 35-18 win French heavyweights Bordeaux-Bègles and Toulouse have named their matchday squads for a mouthwatering Investec Champions Cup semifinal showdown at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday With both clubs sitting atop the Top 14 — Toulouse in first and Bordeaux just behind — the stage is set for an explosive derby in front of a packed crowd in southwest France. which secured top seeding with a flawless pool-stage campaign will hope home advantage swings momentum back in its favor after a shock 21-10 loss to La Rochelle last weekend Head coach Yannick Bru has made five changes to that side bringing in Nicolas Depoortere at outside center to join France international Yoram Moefana in midfield. with Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey flanking Romain Buros Fly-half Matthieu Jalibert partners with captain Maxime Lucu at scrum-half with Argentina’s Guido Petti and Mahamadou Diaby manning the flanks. Adam Coleman replaces Jonny Gray in the second row Maxime Lamothe is handed a start at hooker alongside props Jefferson Poirot and Sipili Falatea Head coach Ugo Mola brings in Julien Marchand — who captains the side — at hooker while Romain Ntamack replaces Thomas Ramos at fly-half Juan-Cruz Mallia fills in at fullback for the injured Blair Kinghorn Italy star Ange Capuozzo and Dimitri Delibes start on the wings with Pierre-Louis Barassi and Pita Ahki in the midfield as the reigning European champions adjust in the continued absence of talisman Antoine Dupont Despite Toulouse’s dominance in France and the team's status as the defending champion Bordeaux has beaten Toulouse twice this season — 16-12 away and 32-24 at home. Both sides scored 33 tries in the pool stages but Bordeaux’s Damian Penaud leads all scorers with 12 and This semifinal promises fireworks between two of Europe’s most potent attacking sides. or can Bordeaux ride the wave to a historic final to face the Northampton Saints Union Bordeaux-Bègles banished the ghosts of past heartbreaks with a sensational 35-18 victory over defending champion Toulouse in the Investec Champions Cup semifinal on Saturday setting up a date with the Northampton Saints in the final at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on May 24 The hosts delivered a high-octane performance from the opening whistle led by their dynamic halfback pairing of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert whose game management and pinpoint kicking consistently kept Toulouse on the back foot. A raucous Stade Chaban-Delmas crowd witnessed UBB defeat Toulouse for the third time this season — none more emphatic than this Former Wallaby Pete Samu lit the fuse early finishing a length-of-the-field move in the sixth minute to give Bordeaux the lead. Jalibert’s boot added a penalty soon after Juan Cruz Mallia slotted two penalties and converted a try by Dimitri Delibes to edge Toulouse ahead 11-10 midway through the first half But Bordeaux struck back with flair and precision. Rising star Louis Bielle-Biarrey scored his seventh try of the tournament in the 22nd minute before Lucu landed a stunning 55-meter penalty to make it 18-11 and that dominance only grew in the second period Bielle-Biarrey pounced again straight from the second-half restart blazing through the Toulouse defense to extend the lead. but a yellow card to Bordeaux flanker Marko Gazzotti in the 52nd minute handed Toulouse a lifeline. Pierre-Louis Barassi exploited the extra-man minutes later to cut the deficit to seven The defining moment came in the 63rd minute when Bordeaux’s pack forced a turnover deep in Toulouse territory. and after a powerful maul and several phases Pierre Bochaton crashed over to restore a two-score advantage. and a late try by Ben Tameifuna sealed the win while the Bordeaux pack outmuscled a depleted Toulouse lineup. The result marks a cathartic moment for UBB after falling short in last year’s Top 14 final and the Champions Cup quarterfinals Bordeaux-Bègles now sets its sights on European glory in Cardiff banishing the demons of a record defeat at the hands of Toulouse in last season's Top 14 final and a dramatic quarterfinal loss to Harlequins in the Champions Cup. and there can be no doubt UBB deserved the win Bordeaux beats Toulouse for the third time this season and will face the Northampton Saints in the Investec Champions Cup final in Cardiff on May 24! UBB is on attack and looking to finish with a flourish but Bordeaux is scrambling magnificently and has won a crucial turnover by big Ben Tameifuna and Matthieu Jalibert absolutely nails his touch finder to set Bordeaux up 5 meters out from the Toulouse line. Record try-scorer Damian Penaud is forced to leave the pitch with what appears to be an ankle injury This is a real shame for Bordeaux fans and neutrals alike losing the best attacking player in this year's competition is a major blow That is exactly where Gazzotti would've been Bordeaux's young backrow sensation is shown a yellow card The match officials take no time at all to come to their decision Can Toulouse score here to get back into the contest Bielle-Biarrey confirms that he is the fastest player in professional rugby That could not have been a worse start for Toulouse Certain fans weren't even back in their seats when Bordeaux struck We are locked in for what should be a pulsating second half Can Bordeaux overcome its demons from last year's Top 14 final defeat Can Toulouse win without so many of its star players It has been a pulsating opening 40 minutes in Bordeaux where Union Bordeaux-Bègles lead defending champion Toulouse 18-11 in this Investec Champions Cup clash racing out of the blocks with a length-of-the-field move finished off by Pete Samu in the sixth minute. before slotting a penalty to push UBB out to a 10-0 lead. Juan Cruz Mallia calmly nailed a penalty in the 11th minute then winger Dimitri Delibes crossed out wide following a powerful buildup from the visitors but another penalty from him in the 20th minute gave Toulouse a narrow 11-10 lead Young star Louis Bielle-Biarrey continued his superb European campaign diving over in the 22nd minute for his seventh try of the tournament but the home side was back in front. Then came one of the moments of the match so far — a booming 55-meter penalty from Maxime Lucu in the 28th minute stretching Bordeaux’s lead to seven points Lucu and Jalibert have dictated proceedings with a masterful kicking display pinning Toulouse deep and keeping them off balance earning a key turnover just before the break and getting the better of Julian Marchand at the breakdown frantic and full of flair — a clash worthy of the occasion From a red hot start to somewhat of an arm wrestle these two powerhouse sides each have had their moments. the halfback pairing of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert has been the difference Their exceptional kicking game has frustrated the champions and kept them out of Bordeaux's territory. Bordeaux only has a one-score lead with the red ticking over into the red for halftime. Bordeaux wins a brilliant turnover through hooker Maxime Lamothe who is getting the better of Julian Marchand so far as the teams head to the tunnel for halftime Who else but the superb Louis Bielle-Biarrey The young winger can't stop scoring! This is his seventh try in the Champions Cup this season Jalibert's conversion just slides off the left upright the reigning champions have worked their way into the lead the champions go to work with their power game. Toulouse then finds winger Dimitri Delibes unmarked on the right wing The reigning champions have their first points of the match. Los Pumas star Juan Cruz Mallia settles his nerves with a perfect strike Jalibert stretches the Bordeaux lead with a perfectly struck penalty which goes from deep and shreds the Toulouse defense! Dotting down for the try is former Wallaby Pete Samu Bordeaux get us underway in front a raucous crowd In one of the most stunning upsets in recent memory the Northampton Saints toppled tournament giant Leinster 37–34 in the first semifinal of the Investec Champions Cup. Entering the clash as 21-point underdogs and missing key players the Saints defied all expectations with a blistering start and clinical execution. Tommy Freeman lit up the Aviva Stadium with a first-half hat trick while 20-year-old sensation Henry Pollock delivered a statement performance in both attack and defense. Halfbacks Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith expertly managed the tempo tactically unpicking Leinster’s blitz defense and guiding Saints to their first final since 2011 all eyes turn to today’s second semifinal between Union Bordeaux-Bègles and Stade Toulousain with the winner set to face the Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup final at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff on May 24 As Stade Toulousain gears up for a heavyweight Investec Champions Cup semifinal against Union Bordeaux-Bègles fullback Blair Kinghorn insists his side is ready for the challenge — and not dwelling on past defeats Fresh off a dramatic quarterfinal win over RC Toulon sealed by an 81st-minute Thomas Ramos penalty the reigning champions now face one of Europe’s most dangerous sides. unbeaten in the pool stages and twice a winner over Toulouse in the Top 14 this season “They’ve had the better of us this season,” Kinghorn admitted “But that’s not going to be playing on our minds too much It’s knockout rugby – anything can happen.” helping Toulouse to both Champions Cup and Top 14 titles in his debut campaign “The Champions Cup is something I grew up watching as a kid,” he said “Playing in and winning the final was a dream come true.” Kinghorn credits the relentless drive within the club for their continued success and the coaches’ desire to win is crazy,” he said including Investec Player of the Year nominees Ramos and Jack Willis “[Willis] was unbelievable last season,” Kinghorn said follow all the action through our live blog for minute-by-minute updates and expert analysis “These are the games you want to be playing in,” Kinghorn added The 2025 Investec Champions Cup final will take place Saturday Get the most important Rugby stories delivered straight to your inbox Australian rugby stars - including three former Wallabies now thriving overseas - have excelled in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup to set up a showdown in Europe's top club event went over for a glorious early try as Union Bordeaux-Begles ended Toulouse's two-year unbeaten run in the tournament brilliantly winning the all-French battle 35-18 victory at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday to reach the final for the first time also featuring ex-Australia lock Adam Coleman unexpected and rather epic 37-34 victory over Irish favourites Leinster in Dublin on Saturday The 'Saints' emerged triumphant with five tries including one from their popular Australian fullback James Ramm while former Wallabies' back-rower Josh Kemeny shone and Angus Scott-Young came off the bench to help them become the first English finalists since Exeter won in 2020 The five Aussies will do battle in the final on May 24 in Cardiff's Principality Stadium as Northampton seek to end French Top 14 clubs' recent domination of the title It won't be easy for Northampton with Bordeaux-Begles having looked mightily strong in kayoing the six-time champions with tries from Samu while Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu impressed with valuable booted points who'd been unbeaten since losing in the 2023 semi-finals to Leinster responded with two tries from Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi but were crucially weakened by the absence of the injured Antoine Dupont "They had a 10-minute spell of domination and we did not crack We're so happy to qualify in front of our fans as we've been through very tough moments," said Jalibert referring to Toulouse's 59-3 win against UBB in last season's Top 14 final The 33-year-old veteran Tasmanian lock Coleman is of Tongan descent and now playing his international rugby for the Pacific Island He only lasted 28 minutes after failing a head injury assessment following his tackle on Julien Marchand the former Waratahs wing who played just once for Australia's under-20s but hasn't yet played played a senior international even though he's eligible for New Zealand who played at the last World Cup for the Wallabies was also in fine form in the back row battle but did receive a late yellow for a high shot on Rabah Slimani that forced the Saints into an almighty backs-to-the-wall struggle to eke out their three-point win Log InLatest For You Popular VideosBru revels in 'pride' after Bordeaux dethrone Toulouse to reach maiden Champions Cup finallikeSocial ShareSocial feature for desktop is coming soon 001 daysRugby UnionBordeaux-Begles coach Yannick Bru revelled in his "pride" after his side beat reigning champions Toulouse to reach their first Champions Cup final The top seeds prevailed 35-18 to dethrone the title holders in the all-Top 14 clash at Matmut Atlantique and set up a showdown with Northampton Saints in the showpiece match on May 24 Pierre Bochaton and Benjamin Tameifuna also went over for the hosts Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi scored tries for Toulouse but it proved academic as the visitors' hopes of claiming a record-breaking seventh crown were extinguished Bordeaux also avenged their defeat by Toulouse at this stage in 2021 and Bru was pleased by the way his side made amends four years on "My main feeling right now is pride; pride for what my players have done," he said. "They really got stuck throughout the week building up to today "We're that bit extra pleased to have learnt from last time and to have learnt that celebrating just the occasion of getting to a semi-final can come back to bite you "So many of the guys had an amazing game so it's impossible to single out any one of them "The guys showed up all over the pitch today and it was really in the closing stages that we exploited their weaknesses." Already a subscriber? The stage is set for a historic Investec Champions Cup final as the Northampton Saints and Union Bordeaux-Bègles clash at the iconic Millennium Stadium on Saturday After semifinal victories that defied expectations and rewrote scripts both clubs now stand one win away from European glory The Northampton Saints pulled off one of the most stunning upsets in recent Champions Cup history toppling Irish giant Leinster 37-34 at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium. Entering the semifinal as 21-point underdogs the Saints silenced the doubters with a performance built on clinical execution and fierce defense Winger Tommy Freeman led the charge with a first-half hat trick giving the Saints a 27-15 halftime lead. Scrumhalf Alex Mitchell and fly-half Fin Smith orchestrated the attack with pace and precision while 20-year-old sensation Henry Pollock delivered a standout display that included 24 tackles Despite conceding the majority of territory and possession exploiting Leinster’s blitz defense with clever tactical kicking and sharp offloads. The result adds to Leinster’s growing catalogue of knockout heartbreaks and raises questions about the team's direction under current leadership Bordeaux-Bègles’ 35-18 dismantling of defending champion Toulouse was emphatic. Playing in front of a raucous home crowd at Matmut Atlantique driven by the dynamic halfback duo of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert Former Wallaby Pete Samu struck early with a coast-to-coast try in the sixth minute and despite a brief Toulouse comeback that saw Toulouse lead 11-10 Louis Bielle-Biarrey added two tries — bringing his tournament total to seven — while Lucu slotted a 55-meter penalty and Jalibert controlled proceedings with calm authority. The Bordeaux pack matched and then outlasted its Toulouse counterparts forcing turnovers and winning crucial breakdowns despite the second-half loss of star winger Damian Penaud to injury. A powerful try from Pierre Bochaton in the 63rd minute restored a two-score lead and Ben Tameifuna's late effort sealed Bordeaux's first spot in a Champions Cup final. The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff — the spiritual home of Welsh rugby — will host the final It marks a return to the venue for the Northampton Saints who suffered heartbreak there in 2011 after Leinster staged a dramatic comeback led by Johnny Sexton the final marks uncharted territory. This will be UBB's maiden appearance in a Champions Cup decider and the first final since the 2019-2020 season without La Rochelle Fans can mark their calendars for a marquee weekend of European rugby. The EPCR Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon takes place Friday followed by the Investec Champions Cup final on Saturday FloRugby is the official streaming partner for EPCR competitions in North America and U.S United Rugby Championship and Super Rugby Pacific throughout the season the Investec Champions Cup final promises to deliver a compelling narrative: the first winners of the title in the new millennium against a first-time finalist fearless rugby and the pursuit of a historic title. Will Northampton finally claim its first European crown since 2000 or can Bordeaux complete their fairytale run with a maiden triumph in Cardiff led by dynamic halfback pairing of Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert A raucous Stade Chaban-Delmas crowd witnessed UBB defeat Toulouse for the third time this season finishing a length-of-the-field move in the sixth minute to give Bordeaux the lead blazing through the Toulouse defense to extend the lead when Bordeaux’s pack forced a turnover deep in Toulouse territory while the Bordeaux pack outmuscled a depleted Toulouse lineup The Sunday TimesToulouse’s Investec Champions Cup semi-final away against Bordeaux Bègles on Sunday promises to be a titanic match Antoine Dupont will be watching from the stands too far from the action for even the world’s best player to influence proceedings Peato Mauvaka and Blair Kinghorn are also injured Bordeaux have home advantage; statistically that final point counts for a great deal in France The absent Ramos had a poor day with the boot in the 21-18 quarter-final win away against Toulon in which his team squeezed through with the final kick It was an average game in terms of quality Bienvenue à la fin (Welcome to the ending) of my magnificent trip to Bordeaux as this fourth post makes up the last I have to tell you about this transformative opportunity During our three-week-long stay in Bordeaux I bore witness to sufficient monuments and cultural experiences to fill out a lifetime I forged friendships I expect to last a lifetime too The community among students on the trip was parfait (perfect) Led sweetly and charismatically by our professor and his friend who had both grown up in the city we embarked on unending cultural excursions during those French weeks Our community of Oberlin students in Bordeaux (who the professor called “Bordobies”) formed an eclectic mostly ingenuous (mostly queer) group of explorers to weather every contour of our odyssey as when we took a cruise on the river Garonne at the end of our stay on how there was perhaps no better place for our group to be living nor exploring at that time We ate up every bit of the French culture we could find While I know I cannot capture the experience of every cultural excursion our France trip included I’ll attempt to capture the essential gist of our goings-out through examples we wandered reverently through the Basins de Lumières (basins of lights) where an abandoned submarine base had become fine art where we wondered at the sea and gorged ourselves on oysters so alive that they shriveled when we squeezed lemon juice onto them We went in turns (for the stairway was narrow) to climb a massive cathedral bell tower in the city from which we saw Bordeaux’s valiant skyline stretching in every direction We sat in convivial fervor around a table where our wine and cheese tasting took place alike to when we got to taste wines aboard our aforementioned cruise and were privileged enough to drink from a special selection at our trip to a real chateau (literally meaning castle but which has come to mean an esteemed estate for wine-making as can be found plentifully in the Bordeaux countryside) This is still just to name a few of the things that we did as a group which all were in addition to our enjoyment of the city and surrounding area we did on our own schedules as well I and two other trip members formed a tight-knit group in which we trekked to every corner of the city We visited churches and museums and many a frippery (the French name for a thrift or consignment store) We stopped by all manner of charming bakeries and street-corner venders and frolicked (I would say this applied quite literally) through all the city’s most exquisite plazas my friends and I even took a trip by train to the nearby city of Saint-Émilion where the medieval architecture was the best preserved I had ever witnessed We climbed a tower there where we kept nearly hitting our heads but were rewarded with a view to stick in our minds unceasingly. With those close friends I made on the trip With the others from the trip I still will exchange a friendly wave or quick word whenever we see each other on campus because even ensconced anew in our own friend groups we share a collective bond around the time of unprecedented enjoyment and learning we passed through in community. What will I take forward from my time spent away in France A solid foundation in the language is one thing I can guarantee The community bonds we formed between students and professors as detailed in this installment certainly make up another thing I’ll take into my future I do believe I’ll carry forward a broadened international experience I always felt I was visiting and foreign (though fascinated by all I got to experience) in the city in Bordeaux I ended up feeling a bit more settled The climate was like the cool rainy days of my home and the well-classed culture was an air I came to embrace France welcomed me with truly joyous arms and yet also Evan Hamilton The third and final installment in the story of my second Winter Term trip to Guadalajara focusing on the cultural excursions and the community ties I'll carry with me Part three of a review of my magnificent French immersion trip to Bordeaux Thorin Finch are a serendipity I didn’t know I was missing Oberlin has separate application processes for the College of Arts and Sciences and the Conservatory of Music You have exceptional musical talent and intellectual enthusiasm.We have a place just for you At kickoff, the team performed their strategic plan perfectly. With four tries from Pete Samu and two from Louis Bielle-Barrey, Pierre Bochaton, and Ben Tameifuna, the Bordeaux-Bègles' attacking group demonstrated their prowess. Louis Bielle-Barrey was outstanding as the young player showed off his quickness and strike abilities while scoring two crucial tries during the game. In addition to his on-field efforts, Mathieu Jalibert's contributions of converting tries and applying penalties helped Bordeaux gain more control over the scoreboard. Five-time European champions Stade Toulousain had trouble settling into their usual style of play in this game. Toulouse players Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi scored the game's only two tries, although Bordeaux's defense stopped the majority of their offensive attempts. Bordeaux limited Toulouse with strong defensive tactics and strategic discipline, which curtailed Toulouse's typical offensive flair. Throughout the game, the Bordeaux team improved their command of the ball. Bordeaux's forward men were able to control both mauls and scrums while their backfield produced swift transitioning throws. Toulouse was behind for the whole of the game because Bordeaux launched so many attacks. Bordeaux-Bègles will play Northampton Saints in the Champions Cup final on May 24 at Cardiff, where it will face its most difficult opponent. Bordeaux intends to defeat Northampton Saints in the fierce Champions Cup final on May 24 in Cardiff in order to cap off their incredible year by earning European glory. The 2024 vintage presents a complex and uneven picture shaped by a challenging growing season which pushed producers to their limits – both physically You can read our Bordeaux 2024 weather article here plush and concentrated 2022s or the precise terroir-driven 2023s the 2024s lean towards a lighter more fragrant style with moderate alcohol levels and vibrant acidities We have a new page all about this year's En Primeur campaign explore the top regions and producers and set alerts for new releases Bordeaux's En Primeur campaign has creaked into action Reaction in Bordeaux is that this has been a disastrous start to the campaign with Pontet-Canet "tanking" Branaire Ducru creating little interest and Batailley only moving slowly The release prices for Pontet-Canet £60 per bottle and Batailley £26 – both about 10 percent down on their 2023 releases – made me look but they didn’t make me do a double take before checking with my banking app to see how many bottles I could afford Prices were only pretty good rather than being fantastic Potential purchasers expected at least a 10 percent markdown to reflect the perceived step down in relative quality between 2023 and 2024 but given the lack of success of the 2023 campaign it should have been clear that additional effort was required to make this campaign work So why are producers reluctant to drop prices to a level where these wines will sell through Could it be that they feel the wines are much better quality than has been publicized the rush to release the first prices before most of the critics have published their notes and scores does not suggest that they think opinion will be swayed radically when these reviews are released Possibly there is a belief that cutting prices for the 2024s will devalue other vintages currently in the market If that is so it demonstrates a creditable respect for their customers and distributors from the producers; however I don't think there is much risk of devaluing top vintages of a wine by clearing through those perceived to be lesser quality vintages rather it creates interest in the whole market Imagine how much better the Bordeaux en-primeur market would look today had the delicate pretty wines of the 2021 vintage been released 20 percent cheaper than they were So the other issue is the quality of the wines from 2024 how good are they really? I will give my opinions here and have posted numerous notes/ratings and videos on the En Primeur pages of Wine-Searcher On these pages you will also be able to see and compare critic scores as they come in to help you build a detailed picture of the campaign as it evolves As the first releases have come from Pauillac and Saint-Julien, I will start my detailed look at the wines by commune with the three northernmost principal communes of the Médoc: Saint-Estèphe While reviewing my notes for these three communes I am struck by the number of times I reference blackcurrant and cassis in my tastings These are flavors and aromas I would normally closely associate with the wines of Pauillac in particular It is undoubtedly something I have been slow to adapt to but what I have generally expected to see is somewhat leafy cassis Tasting the 2024s I struggled to find that leafiness rather seeing flavors and perfumes of pure blackcurrant essence It seems that the care taken in the vineyards and the levels of fruit selection employed have eradicated unripe fruit from the fermenting vats of Bordeaux – at least for the estates that can afford the work involved. In many instances the wines from the 2024 vintage have showcased advances made in winemaking in the region in recent years Several estates detailed how new vat rooms with larger numbers of tanks better equipped them to deal with the challenges of the vintage. At Léoville-Las Cases they explained how their new winery with 110 individual fermenters allowed then to ferment portions of plots where necessary The increase from 40 to 110 fermenting vats gives greater scope for separate fermentations to be conducted if a section of a plot needs to be left on the vine to achieve better maturity The additional tank space allowed all these batches to be harvested at ideal ripeness. A quite important step for many producers in 2023 was the decision to chaptalize chaptalization is seen as a failing in modern winemaking – certainly the addition of sugar to boost alcohol levels by a couple of percent across the board is not a practice to be encouraged My tastings, however, showed that those estates that used the practice judiciously in 2024 to add 0.2-0.3 percent of alcohol to some of the most affected of their lots significantly helped the balance of these wines. Often these small enrichments were applied to dilute lots, often of Merlot to slightly boost their weight and richness In wines such as these with fresh acidity and fine tannins the approach often made the difference between those wines being lean classic and elegant as opposed to being thin and astringent To the same end some producers employed the saignée method bleeding off excess juice to increase depth and concentration in less concentrated lots In general wines with alcohols of 13 percent and above tend to be more rounded and balanced it was worth looking at harvest dates and those estates that finished harvesting for their red wines after or around October 7 have tended to show better balance than those that picked earlier Pauillac has produced wines in 2024 that are very classic in style with plentiful cassis fruit and restrained oak often display graphite notes and have fine structures an estate whose wines are often a little reticent in youth was more restrained but proved well-defined © Alex Tihonovs/Shutterstock.com | The northern Médoc produced attractive Between Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande and Château Pichon Baron de Longueville I felt Pichon Comtesse made the slightly better wine with greater piquancy and elegance seamlessly beautiful with lovely focus at the finish By comparison Pichon Baron displayed greater density It is not surprising that the 2024 vintage of Lynch-Bages stood out a fine cedary structure and excellent density A balanced wine with good length of well-defines flavors Another wine whose freshness and balance stood out from the line-up of 2024 Pauillacs was Grand-Puy-Lacoste Likely to be 40 percent cheaper than Lynch-Bages it offers lovely purity of fruit and a fine structure of smooth Grand-Puy-Lacoste has more of an elegant red-fruit nature than Lynch Bages A wine that stands out as being a very traditional Pauillac is Château Batailley The wine is lean and structured with cassis and black plum fruit that is initially very restrained The wine's structure and opens slowly in the mouth The time it takes some of these wines to open is a notable feature of the 2024 wines – lacking rich their balanced alcohol levels allows attractive fruit to show on the finish often meaning the wines were showing at their best as I was leaving a tasting room as they continued opening on my tongue Two wines from Pauillac that continue to show improvements in quality year on year are Château Lynch-Moussas and Château Pedesclaux – both produced attractive modern wines with good freshness Pedesclaux is delivering more dark fruit and greater density Lynch-Moussas showing a more red-fruited style with greater elegance The climatic conditions in 2024 gave some lovely restraint and elegance to the wines from Saint-Estèphe Many wines showed uncharacteristically delicate In 2024, Château Montrose produced one of the standout wines of the vintage the wine is full and rich with some earthy touches This is a very typical example of Montrose quite a concentrated wine but with lovely elegance that is typical of the 2024 vintage yet with a very typical combination of cassis Calon Segur's wine was indeed the epitome of finesse and elegance Again in 2024, Château Phélan Ségur has produced a complex, modern-style wine with depth, ripeness, structure and elegance that outstrips several of that commune's classed growths. Unusually also for this vintage, the estate's second wine Fank Phélan showed wonderful quality albeit in a more open and fruit-forward style than the grand vin A wine that surprised me with its richness and concentration was Château Lafon Rochet it also surprised me with a supple structure and an elegant From just north of Saint-Estèphe, from Saint-Seurin-de-Cadourne, was the excellent Château Sociando-Mallet This is a wine of fair density and concentration but also real freshness Château Léoville-Las Cases was the undoubted star wine from the commune A spectacular example of this normally quite reserved wine While not the biggest or richest example of Léoville-Las Cases it is a wine of spectacular elegance and poise I was a little confused by Château Ducru-Beaucaillou at first – the 2024 is lean This was a good example of a wine whose flavors really only blossomed completely by the end of the tasting; notably it was as I left the property and was on their driveway that the wine's intense Château Leoville Barton showed as being characteristically structured, with ripe, smooth, mouthwatering pure cassis fruit, licoricey concentration and really quite a good density for the vintage. The estate's sibling, Langoa Barton appeared to close much of the quality gap with its more august sibling in 2024 by displaying a firm cedary structure as well as its customary fresh cassis fruit Another estate from Saint-Julien that produced a blindingly good wine in 2024 was Château Beychevelle The wine was open and fresh with plentiful pure cassis fruit on the nose it stood out as balanced and attractive I hope what I've written here demonstrates the availability of attractive well-made wines from all three of these northern Médoc appellations and across price ranges in 2024 Alas for most of these wines it is too early to comment on the value for money they will offer except to say that producers need to realize that if they want to sell their 2024 wines they will need to offer more than a 10 percent reduction on release prices compared to the 2023s. Our latest update from the Bordeaux En Primeur front line features dry and sweet whites and a curious red Graves vintage The latest sales figures are bad news for producers hoping high-end wines will get them through these tough economic times It's all about music as much as wine as we round up this week's news from the wine world We conclude our search for the world's most sought-after wines with our overall top 10 Joe Biden might not be in the White House any more but his influence is still being felt at one crucial committee The science keep piling up: wine is good for your health Ever wished you could hypnotize your friends into drinking better wine As traditional wine markets tighten and contract perhaps it's time to look at a previously overlooked wine market the death of Pope Francis was more than just another world leader's passing The long reign of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley remains unbroken Bordeaux-Begles came through in a 35-18 all-French semi-final after France star Louis Bielle-Biarrey struck twice who won against Leinster on Saturday in Cardiff on 24 May 8 Pete Samu scored the opening try for Bordeaux with replacement lock Pierre Bochaton and prop Ben Tameifuna going over in the second half Despite being in the same Champions Cup pool the anticipated clash between the two leading sides in France's Top 14 did not play each other Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi crossed for Toulouse but they were always struggling to keep up with the pace by virtue of the bonus point that Toulouse failed to register against the Sharks who beat Leinster in last year’s final Those who watched all four matches got something special Cardiff is going to be huge later this month,” said McKay in a press conference and it was a weekend in which two teams (Toulouse and Leinster) Château Angélus 2024 was released in the Bordeaux en primeur campaign on Wednesday morning (30 April) at €180 per bottle ex-négociant and at around £2,148 per 12-bottle case in bond (IB) in the UK Some merchants were offering the wine in six-bottle cases It’s a 31% drop on last year’s debut price for Angélus 2023, said Liv-ex Already a subscriber? Bordeaux-Begles star Joey Carbery is dreaming fondly of adding another Champions Cup trophy to his collection later this month after a thoroughly entertaining semi-final victory over Toulouse on Sunday who won the European prize in 2018 with Leinster entered the field of play with 10 minutes remaining as Matthieu Jalibert took his well deserved rest It was a comprehensive victory for Bordeaux as they downed their fellow countrymen 35-18 Carbery said: “It’s pretty incredible it just shows that all our hard work is paying off It’s great for us and it’s great to get one over Toulouse as well.” Taking place at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff Bordeaux will face a confident Northampton Saints side that on Saturday dumped out the mighty Leinster on home turf “It was a crazy game really in the end I think they played the perfect game,” reflected the former Munster star Guido Petti: ‘Not surprised’ by ‘amazing’ Saints and ‘dominance’ v Toulouse “It was great for them to get one over Leinster I think they’re going to be a huge challenge but I think they’re very similar to us they’ve got threats all over the park so it’s going to be a good final.” Praising the 16th man for always being so vocal and loud the out-of-favour Irish international reflected on the fans’ impact on their form: “We play for ourselves So it feels like there’s a lot more than just this team and the 15 that are on the pitch And I think how far it’s come in the last maybe 20 years as well but it’s still so special to be part of and you can feel like there’s a proper meaning behind it all It’s an incredible team to play for.” With the sheer star-power in the Bordeaux line-up it’s difficult to pick out one particular player that stands out above the rest Louis Bielle-Biarrey is doing a good an extremely good job of getting himself noticed including one almost length of the field effort saw the flying winger pick up all the plaudits once again – but what do his teammates think about him “He’s incredible,” said Carbery “For a 10 to be able to know that him and Damian [Penaud] are on the wings And then he’s got blistering and incredible finishing on the back of it So he’s a pretty special player.” he’s not too shabby from the boot either: “Even yesterday in the captain’s run “I think they’re very similar to us,” Carbery noted “And I think that’s as big of a compliment as I can give “I even saw a stat yesterday that all their tries came from unstructured play We know they’re dangerous from anywhere I’ve played against them a couple of times throughout the years and they’re a really difficult team.” READ MORE: Lewis Moody Team of My Life: Springboks ‘artist’ and Richie McCaw Life in the south of France is treating the Irishman well by all accounts telling reporters after the game that “It’s not the worst place to live And the weather’s a little bit better than Ireland He admitted that getting to grips with the language was a little difficult but noted that he couldn’t have asked for a better first year in the city Discussing his relationship with fellow fly half Carbery said: “We have a bit of competition there as well but I’ve played a few times with him at 15 He was very good today – he’s got it all.” Bordeaux will face Northampton Saints at in the Investec Champions Cup final at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday 24 May 2025 Munster defence coach Denis Leamy has opened up on Bordeaux-Begles fly-half Joey Carbery's inside knowledge of his team ahead of their Champions Cup quarter-final on Saturday Following Bordeaux-Begles' 43-31 victory over Ulster in the Investec Champions Cup here are our winners and losers from the Stade Chaban-Delmas The eyes of France will be on Matmut Atlantique, as Union Bordeaux-Begles hosts Toulouse with a trip to Cardiff, Wales, on the line Saturday in the Investec Champions Cup semifinals. Defending Investec Champions Cup champion Toulouse has survived thus far in the playoffs without the best player in the world but now faces its biggest challenge: Damiam Penaud and rival UBB Rugby UBB Rugby is seeking its first trip to the Investec Champions Cup but in the way is the same club that demolished UBB in the 2024 Top 14 final last summer. Toulouse and UBB Rugby's match is one of the most anticipated showdowns of the season The match is streaming live in North America on FloRugby and the FloSports app. Match replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. UBB and Toulouse Rugby will face off at 10 a.m Your semifinal line up 🤩Who are you backing to make it to Cardiff? 🏟️Register for early access to #InvestecChampionsCup SF tickets here ⬇️ db’s Bordeaux correspondent Colin Hay continues his tour of the right-bank’s 2024 en primeur offerings in Saint-Émilion where he finds an impressive number of vintage-transcending wines As we descend from the plateau of Pomerol and head Eastwards on the D245 we’re almost immediately in the appellation of Saint-Émilion We pass Cheval Blanc (on the left) and then Figeac (on the right) almost before we’ve realised it and then turn up the hill past Grace Dieu des Prieurs and Franc Mayne before Les Grands Murailles (now part of the Clos Fourtet vineyard) and the historic walls of the town come into view a vast and diverse appellation with over 4000 hectares of grand cru vineyards alone in 2024 (in comparison It is also arrayed over a rich tapestry of terroirs of rather variable quality In a growing season in which even contiguous vineyards experienced significant differences in their exposure this was always likely to produce considerable heterogeneity the aggregate data presented in Table 1 don’t come close to telling the full story Table 1: Rainfall during the vintage (relative to 30-year average) Source: calculated from Gavin Quinney’s Bordeaux 2024 weather and harvest report and https://www.infoclimat.fr/climatologie/ (* – data supplied by Château Petit Village; ** – Graves Bourg & Blaye; *** for Bordeaux-Mérignac alone); château level data provided by the properties themselves We tend to think of it as coming from three sources: first the qualitative range and diversity of its terroirs and their respective capacities to respond to the climatic conditions they face; and it is the second and third that are the more interesting in 2024 Variation in the type and quality of terroir turned out to be crucial It did so both in the sense that this vintage is a terroir-amplifier (it was more than usually difficult to make a silk purse out of the proverbial sow’s ear) and that the well-draining limestone and clay-over-limestone terroirs of the plateau and coteaux were invariably advantaged Yet the more precocious terroirs – those adjoining the plateau of Pomerol and those on the slopes of St Emilion with a southern exposition – suffered most from uneven and partial flowering and pollination and from the coulure and millerandage that followed which might well have been a major factor a decade ago were much less significant in 2024 For whilst this was definitely not a vintage for over-extraction nor over-exposure to toasty oak the new classicism that now pervades St-Emilion has always regarded both as the sins of an increasingly bygone era But they are (thankfully) very rare indeed But really to understand the 2024 vintage in Saint-Émilion we need to add an extra It is the massively uneven access to the resources to cope with the meteorological challenges posed by the growing season Crucial in Saint-Émilion in 2024 was the (human) capacity to react quickly and with a plan to the rapidly changing conditions in the vineyard and the (financial) capacity to deploy optimetric and densimetric sorting to ensure that only ripe fruit made it into the vinification vats (and the deep pockets to overlook the 20-30 per cent of the crop discarded in the process) It is only when we put all of these factors together that we can really start to understand This shows the composition of the grands vins from a number of the leading estates (invariably those for which I have the data) and the final yields from which they were made Table 2: Percentage of Merlot & Cabernet Franc in the grands vinsand final yield (hl/ha) Pavie and Troplong Mondot – the composition of the grand vin changes hardly at all and it is only the yields that have dropped (in some cases In three of the remaining five cases – Ausone Cheval Blanc and Figeac – the drop in the yields comes at the expense of Merlot in the final blend with Cabernet (Franc with or without Sauvignon) making up the balance in the two final cases – Canon and Rocheyron – the percentage of Merlot in the final blend actually rises volume has been sacrificed to maximise the qualitative potential of the final wine That is perhaps not at all surprising at these leading estates impressive – is that I draw precisely the same conclusion from my wider tasting of the grands cru classés wines (notably at the Association des Grands Crus Classés de Saint-Émilion at Dassault the weekend before the week of primeurs itself) far more homogeneous in quality than I was expecting them to be and rather more homogeneous in quality than their Médocain counterparts in this vintage The competitive classification system for the wines of Saint-Émilion has many detractors But it does seem to have passed this rather important test with flying colours But that does not render Saint-Émilion homogeneous in quality in 2024 – not by a long way Of the well over 200 wines that I tasted only around 130 make the grade for inclusion in my report But well over 90 per cent of those classified find their place amongst them suggests that the classification system is working – above all in remaining quite an impressive guarantor of quality to the consumer in a vintage as difficult and challenging as this Table 3: Average vineyard yield by appellation (hl/ha) Source: calculated from Duanes data compiled by the CIVB Service Economie et Etudes For full tasting notes of over 200 wines from Saint-Émilion see here Your email address will not be published. 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Stephen Browett and his birth-year bottle Bordeaux en primeur tends to be priced by market conditions at the time of release Unless proprietors want to put their heads in the sand (it’s happened before and maybe some will again?) we are facing some hugely negative issues in the Bordeaux wine trade Prices of immature Bordeaux wines have been falling for the past two years.Most Bordeaux negociants are over-stocked and paying interest to the banks while the value of their inventories declines They are not in a position to finance the vintage.Most UK merchants are losing money They are not in a position to buy for stock.The Chinese market for fine wine has virtually disappeared They will not be buying.The “Trump Tariffs” mean that US merchants have no idea what taxes they will have to pay when the wines are available for delivery The Bordeaux trade really needs these wines to sell This vintage is going to have to be extremely well priced when it is released the châteaux will have to keep it.I fully expect that most wines will be released at lower prices than those at which the consumer can buy the same château in any other vintage We should see good classed growths for sale from not much more than £20 per bottle Second growths at under £50 per bottle and the price of some first growths (for the first time in a decade) starting with a “2” per bottle Bordeaux 2024 is the 'year of sorting' it was a very tricky year for the winemakers of Bordeaux If you sat back and let nature take its course if you made wine from all the grapes that you picked then you had something as potentially poor as 2013 is that some châteaux rose to the challenge and made some very attractive wine that will make for good early drinking it was essential to treat the vineyards (properties such as Domaine de Chevalier decided to abandon their “organic” principles for a year in order to save the harvest) you to had to make massive selection decisions Under-ripe and over-ripe fruit had to be rejected by pickers in the vineyard (we heard stories of plots taking three times as long to harvest as normal) Further sorting had to take place before the fruit was sent to the wineries often again by optical sorting machines and the latest technology to be employed was densimetric sorting machines that eliminated berries that didn’t reach the required ripeness levels Most winemakers then had to add sugar (chaptalisation) to beef up the concentration of their wine while others used bleeding (saignée) or reverse osmosis to remove water from the musts Further selection meant that many growers produced more second wine than first wine and that less good vats were often sold off in bulk Some châteaux have produced a fraction of a normal crop in order to maintain quality Normally this is a recipe for higher prices – not this year We heard many stories of how the final yields – the amount of grape juice actually used to make the wines – were as little as half the amount that was actually produced by the vines in the vineyard The silver lining this year is the excellent quality of the dry white wines and Sauternes selects Domaine de Chevalier Blanc as his wine of the vintage But if you like to purchase a few cases of claret every year en primeur All the sacrifices and expense incurred by the best producers to be successful in 2024 have resulted in some very decent red wines and – if the prices turn out to be as low as we hope - then there will be wines to buy This is my “top ten” pick of wines from across the region at a range of price points L’Eglise Clinet – this simply does not look like The finest wine that we tasted on the right bank this year They even had a normal yield and alcohol level (Estimate £1,800–£2,250 per dozen) Montrose – if any wine tastes like a first growth then this is it I think that this is better than the first growths this year Huge efforts were made here to make the best quality possible from only the heart of the estate Just one third of the crop is in this “grand vin” (Estimate £1,000–£1,280 per dozen) Canon – in the same way that Montrose is of first growth quality on the left bank Angélus and Ausone may match this for scores (or maybe not?) (Estimate £780-£960 per dozen)Les Carmes Haut Brion – a genuine contender for wine of the vintage in recent years and in 2024 they may well have done it (Estimate £680-£850 per dozen)Lynch Bages – powerful and classically Pauillac in style Incredible depth for the vintage and we expect this to be the lowest priced vintage in the market for this benchmark claret (Estimate £600-£760 per dozen)Rauzan Ségla – there are three great estates at the heart of Margaux – Château Margaux We couldn’t decide which we liked the best but the price here makes Rauzan the “no-brainer” (Estimate £520-£650 per dozen)Léoville Barton – proper Saint Julien This château is always generously priced on release and we could see a sub £50 a bottle “super-second growth” here (Estimate £500–£620 per dozen)Domaine de Chevalier – as the prices at neighbours Smith Haut Lafitte and Haut Bailly drift away we were once again reminded of the consistent great quality here - and the Bernards have promised us that it will be very reasonably priced (Estimate £400-£500 per dozen)Les Cruzelles – this tastes like a Pomerol in a very good vintage A resounding success for 2024 and you simply cannot buy a better right bank wine for the price (Estimate £150-£185 per dozen)Montlandrie – no apologies for another Durantou wine in the list Dark and serious with an incredible quality to price ratio It is a simple fact that there is no better wine in Bordeaux at a lower price than this Further informationThe en primeur section of Farr's website is now live and you can read its full report on the vintage The Buyer TVClick below to watch The Buyer's library of online debates, videos and webinars. The two best sides in France meet for a place in the European Champions Cup final at the end of the month Damian Penaud is one of the many stars of the French national team in action this weekend (CHRISTOPHE ARCHAMBAULT/AFP via Getty Images) Watch Bordeaux v Toulouse live streams as the two best sides in the Top 14 go head to head for a place in the tournament’s Cardiff final so you won’t want to miss the second of this year’s European Champions Cup semi-finals This guide will tell you everything you need to know to tune in – whether you’re planning on watching Bordeaux v Toulouse on TV or online – Bordeaux v Toulouse date: Sunday 4 May 2025 – Bordeaux v Toulouse kick-off time: 3.00pm BST / 4.00pm CET / 4.00pm SAST / 10.00am ET – Bordeaux v Toulouse free stream: France TV (France) – Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free Viewers in France can watch Bordeaux v Toulouse live streams for free via public broadcaster France Télévisions The game will be available to watch both on terrestrial channel France 2 and the France TV streaming platform but registration is required and geo-restrictions apply Coverage starts at 3.45pm CET on Sunday afternoon Subscription service beIN Sports is another viewing option as it has the rights to every Champions Cup game in France French residents can still access their France TV account from abroad by using a VPN – more on that below Going to be travelling on Sunday afternoon Even if you’re abroad there’s no need to worry about missing second of this weekend’s European Champions Cup semi-finals Although geo-blocking can get in the way of watching your usual streaming services when you’re away from home a handy little piece of software called a VPN is here to help a Virtual Private Network) can help you tune in as if you were sitting on your sofa back home It performs this neat little trick by changing your device’s IP address tablet or computer appear to be in a totally different country This allows you to watch geo-blocked internet streams and that’s not all because VPNs can also improve your security and privacy when you’re online View Deal As with every match of the 2024-25 European Champions Cup, a Bordeaux v Toulouse live stream is available via Premier Sports in the UK The build-up to the big game starts at 2.30pm BST on Sunday The clash is available on Premier Sports 1 and to stream online via Premier Sports’ website and app with subscriptions costing £15.99 per month or £11.99 per month if you sign up for a full year You can also get a year’s viewing at an even lower total price of £120 (which equates to just £10 per month) if you pay for all 12 months upfront Another option is to add Premier Sports to your existing Sky Even if you’re travelling outside the UK this weekend you can still get your usual Premier Sports access abroad by using a VPN, such as NordVPN SuperSport is the home of European Champions Cup games in South Africa Kick-off is at 4.00pm SAST on Sunday afternoon You can get Supersport on your TV via DStv, and you can also stream online. Check out the latest SuperSport packages. Fans in Ireland can watch Bordeaux v Toulouse through subscription service Premier Sports Ireland the platform is available to watch on TV or online FloRugby will show Bordeaux v Toulouse for fans in the United States Kick-off is 10.00am ET / 7.00am PT on Sunday morning A FloRugby subscription costs $29.99 a month or $150 on an annual basis Given their 100 per cent records in this year’s Champions Cup it was almost inevitable the two best sides in France would meet eventually – it was just a question of when With all due respect to Leinster and Northampton Saints Toulouse are the most successful team in the competition’s history while Bordeaux are looking to become the fifth French side to etch their name on the Champions Cup to name just three) to scare any team on the planet It certainly wouldn’t be a shock to rival Northampton Saints’ unexpected victory over Leinster in Dublin yesterday if Bordeaux make it through to the final If they can overcome their French rivals this afternoon they’ll be a match for anyone at the Cardiff final in three weeks time Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing so who better to front a new look than England’s man… As the wine world descends on Bordeaux for this year's En Primeur we though it an appropriate moment to take a look at this year's most wanted expressions Will it be all the usual suspects, the big grande dames of Bordeaux that's a big fat no – other than the compulsory sweet white which can only be d'Yquem – it really is a case of business as usual when it comes to what people want All five First Growths are present and correct, with the rest made up of the break-out superstars from various appellations like Pomerol, Saint-Émilion and Sauternes So, absolutely no prizes for guessing what's made the list, however, let's see how far it's shifted – if at all – from last year's Please note that all critic scores are an aggregate from our pool of critics listed on Wine-Searcher and the prices listed are the global average retail price (GARP) in USD it is the exact same ten wines from last year the only thing that's changed is the order and the prices which – unsurprisingly in the wake of the global financial struggles of the last few years – have all decreased Proving that – in line with declining sales – the power of Bordeaux is not immune from the lightening of people's pockets Well first up is venerable First Growth Château Lafite Rothschild which has switched places with last year's top wine a funny old turn considering its marginal jump in popularity The aforementioned Mouton Rothschild is next with again a slight drop from last year's $729 to today's $699 climbing from 96 to an even more illustrious 97 Number three is Château Latour which has snuck up from last year's fifth place Although it has also marginally climbed down in price from last year's $794 to this year's $767 while still retaining a score of 96 points Fourth is Château Margaux which hasn't moved from last year Price-wise is has also slightly fallen from last year's $768 to this year's $741 it has – like Mouton – shifted in score from 96 to the elusive 97 Petrus is number five having fallen from last year's third place It has also dropped in price from an eyewatering $4254 to a fractionally less painful $4155 it's score has also shuffled from an impressive 96 to a grand 97 Six is that sweet, sweet Château d'Yquem which has scaled up a spot from last year's number seven while also scaling down in price from $474 to today's $469 while still retaining its very respectable score of 96 points Number seven is last year's number six, enter Pessac-Léognan's Château Haut-Brion the wine has very gently fallen in price from last year's $646 to this year's $628 Lucky number eight is the exact same as last year's, Château Pontet-Canet it's dropped a few dollars from last year's $139 to today's $133 while still keeping its score of 95 points Trotting in at number nine is Château Cheval Blanc which shimmied up from last year's last place It has also dropped in price from $763 to this year's $743 while also clawing another point in the critic rankings Finally, in last place – a slight drop from last year's number nine ranking – is Château Lynch-Bages a slight drop from last year's price of $171 Although its critic score of 94 points remains the same Although this list could be interpreted as just a performative shuffle of the bigwigs of Bordeaux both Château Lynch-Bages and Pontet-Canet stand out as offering comparative value for money and as worldwide sales stall – and tariffs rise – who knows what further bargains Bordeaux may begrudgingly offer Bordeaux En Primeur's Uncertain Start The En Primeur campaign for the 2024 Bordeaux wines has taken its first