Champions Cup Final - Teams and Prediction
PREVIEW: Holders Bordeaux-Begles are aiming to establish themselves as one of club rugby’s dynasties when they face four-time winners Leinster in the Champions Cup Final on Saturday in Bilbao, Spain.
Bordeaux-Begles, founded in 2006, are aiming to become just the sixth side to defend their title in the competition’s three decades of existence.
In the space of 20 years, ‘UBB’ have become one of the club game’s most powerful sides and are unbeaten in this season’s competition, having edged out English champions Bath in the last four.
“Our wish since I started is to give Bordeaux-Begles something long-lasting,” head coach Yannick Bru, who was appointed in 2023, told reporters on Tuesday.
“We’re right at the start, on the cusp of something long-lasting.
“As we say where I’m from, ‘You only pay the musician at the end of the concert’.
“What’s important is to win a Final,” the former France hooker added.
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Just one of Big Ben’s workouts 👀
Would you keep up with him? 😅#InvestecChampionsCup #Rugby pic.twitter.com/7SCP2S2Bvw
— Investec Champions Cup (@ChampionsCup) May 20, 2026
Leinster are one of the five outfits to have already claimed back-to-back Champions Cup crowns.
They return to Athletic Bilbao’s San Mames, nicknamed ‘The Cathedral’, where they claimed their most recent triumph in 2018.
However, they have experienced defeat in four Champions Cup finals since then.
In the semifinals, they held on against a late surge from Toulon to secure a sixth Final in nine years.
But their United Rugby Championship form has been inconsistent.
“You can’t hide it under the carpet,” assistant coach Robin McBryde told reporters on Tuesday.
“But listen, we’ve put ourselves in the position time and time again, so we’ve proven that we’re good enough to get to the Final.
“It’s been a bit of a rocky road to get to this stage.
“It’s going to be a fantastic occasion for us playing against arguably the best team in the world,” McBryde added.
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‘Better balance’
Halfback pairing Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert will be crucial to Bordeaux-Begles’s hopes of another triumph.
The Les Bleus playmakers shepherd their hefty pack around the pitch and create space for lethal finishers like winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
“I think we have a better balance in our team that allows Max and Matthieu to express their talent more,” Bru said.
“We’re in the third year of our project, and they understand the project; they approve of it.
“There’s an even stronger bond between the two men,” he added.
Leinster have a settled squad, which is made up of mainly Ireland internationals and a light sprinkling of foreign talent such as New Zealand centre Rieko Ioane.
Ioane will leave Dublin at the end of the season after his short-term deal added depth to a squad that also includes Ireland backs Jamison Gibson-Park, Jamie Osborne and Garry Ringrose.
Osborne and Ringrose are graduates from the province’s clinical private school rugby system.
“I feel lucky to be part of a group where everyone’s turning up, pushing each other to be competitive,” centre Ringrose said.
“There’s always someone coming through, pushing the dial, challenging us,” he added.
“It kind of motivates you and drives you to give your best,” he added.
*See the teams and prediction below!
Saturday, May 23
Prediction
Rugby365: Bordeaux-Begles by six points
Teams
Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Tommy O’Brien, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Rieko Ioane, 10 Harry Byrne, 9 Jamison Gibson-Park, 8 Caelan Doris (captain), 7 Josh van der Flier, 6 Jack Conan, 5 James Ryan, 4 Joe McCarthy, 3 Tom Clarkson, 2 Dan Sheehan, 1 Andrew Porter
Replacements: 16 Ronan Kelleher, 17 Paddy McCarthy, 18 Tadhg Furlong, 19 Diarmuid Mangan, 20 Max Deegan, 21 Luke McGrath, 22 Ciaran Frawley, 23 Jamie Osborne
Bordeaux-Bègles: 15 Salesi Rayasi, 14 Pablo Uberti, 13 Damian Penaud, 12 Yoram Moefana, 11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey, 10 Matthieu Jalibert, 9 Maxime Lucu (captain), 8 Marko Gazzotti, 7 Cameron Woki, 6 Pierre Bochaton, 5 Adam Coleman, 4 Boris Palu, 3 Carlü Sadie, 2 Maxime Lamothe, 1 Jefferson Poirot
Replacements: 16 Gaetan Barlot, 17 Ugo Boniface, 18 Ben Tameifuna, 19 Lachie Swinton, 20 Temo Matiu, 21 Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 22 Arthur Retiere, 23 Hugo Reus
Date: Saturday, May 23
Venue: San Mames Stadium, Bilbao
Kick-off: 15.45 CEST (13.45 GMT)
Referee: Karl Dickson (England)
Assistant referees: Christophe Ridley (England), Hollie Davidson (Scotland)
TMO: Marius van der Westhuizen (South Africa)
