Bath entered the semi‑final at Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Metropole full of ambition, only to be outclassed by a determined Bordeaux side that secured a 38‑26 victory and kept their hopes of retaining the Investec Champions Cup alive. From the first whistle, the English champions found themselves on the back foot. A mistake just 110 seconds into the match allowed Bordeaux to breach Bath's defensive line, with Damian Penaud exploiting a gap before Marko Gazzotti powered over for the opening try.
The early setback set the tone for a game in which Bordeaux displayed relentless efficiency, converting almost every opportunity they created. Bath tried to respond quickly.
England scrum‑half Ben Spencer orchestrated a series of tactical kicks aimed at the wings, one of which found Will Muir in space. Muir took advantage of the simple run, touching down for his first try of the day. The English side showed flashes of quality, especially through the back‑line, but their errors were costly.
Louis Bielle‑Biarrey of Bordeaux capitalised on a left‑corner attack that stemmed from a line‑out drive a phase earlier, further exposing Bath's shaky outside defence. The match saw a parade of individual brilliance on both sides.
Bordeaux's wing Maxime Lucu proved lethal, scoring after a brilliant sequence that saw the ball kept alive while Bath's defenders were stretched thin. Later, Lucu added a penalty that pushed the French club's lead to 24‑12 before halftime, a scoreline that threatened to leave Bath chasing a distant target. Bath, however, refused to surrender.
In the second half, they rallied around their forwards and backs, with Alfie Barbeary making a strong impact in the tight exchanges. The English side's second try came from a well‑executed back‑line move: Henry Arundell sliced through the defense, set up a clean pass to Will Muir, who finished with a superb diving effort.
The momentum shifted briefly as Louie Hennessey added a third try for Bath, sidestepping an overlap and keeping the contest alive in the final quarter. Despite the resurgence, Bath's discipline slipped.
Charlie Ewels was shown a yellow card after pulling down a maul, leaving the team a man down at a critical juncture. Bordeaux seized the advantage, with prop Ben Tameifuna powering over in the 69th minute to extend their lead. Late‑stage tries from Temo Matiu and Tom Carr‑Smith added to the French tally, sealing a comprehensive win. After the final whistle, Bordeaux celebrated a well‑earned place in the final, scheduled for Bilbao on 23 May, where they will aim to defend their title against the winner of the other semi‑final.
Their performance was a blend of tactical discipline, clinical finishing, and the ability to capitalise on Bath's mistakes. Bath's captain, fly‑half Finn Russell, summed up the team's feelings: "We are gutted. We went behind, fought ourselves back, and didn't take our chances. We gave them soft entries into our 22 … at this level, you give soft penalties away and make silly mistakes, you get punished.
We'll be better for this. There's a lot of frustration and disappointment, but when we come back tomorrow we'll look at it and how we get ready for Exeter next weekend." The defeat will serve as a learning experience for a squad that showed resilience but lacked the consistency needed at the highest level of European competition.
In other news from the tournament, the Dragons' dream of reaching the Challenge Cup final was extinguished by Montpellier, who edged them out 18‑12. Montpellier, a top contender for the Top 14 title, will face Ulster in the competition's showcase match in Bilbao on 22 May. The Dragons, currently near the bottom of the United Rugby Championship, fought valiantly, with Aneurin Owen scoring his second try in the 73rd minute, bringing them within a converted try of a potential upset. However, their late surge fell short, and the French side held on to progress.
Both semi‑finals highlighted the fine margins that separate victory from defeat in elite rugby. Bordeaux's ability to maintain composure under pressure, combined with strategic kicking, disciplined defense, and opportunistic scoring, proved decisive against a Bath side that, while spirited, could not overcome their early errors and disciplinary lapses. The upcoming finals in Bilbao promise to showcase the very best of European club rugby, with Bordeaux aiming to retain their crown and Montpellier seeking to add another trophy to their cabinet.