European Rugby Cup: Union Bordeaux-Bègles at the top after its victory against Northampton

Let's not kid ourselves: from a prestige perspective, a final against the Irish province of Leinster, the only continental team (and even more) a priori capable of worrying the best French clubs, would have had a completely different cachet on paper. However, the four-time European champions fell from a great height, at home, in the semi-final, against the English side of Northampton, who had the wise idea of ​​playing their best match of the year, if not of the decade, or even, for some players, of a lifetime.

An exploit, yes, but not two: this Saturday, May 24, in Cardiff, in a Principality Stadium that was not quite full – which, for the image of rugby, paints it a little badly –, the Union Bordeaux-Bègles (UBB), for its part, did not hesitate. But trembled, and even – this largely explains it – sometimes played backwards: to such an extent that it was necessary to wait until the 78th minute to see Aquitaine arms begin to rise, on the pitch and on the bench, signaling the relief, as much as the immense joy, at the finally irrevocable prospect of lifting a first trophy in the very young history of the club (officially born in 2006 when Bordeaux and Bègles de