Bordeaux Begles retain Champions Cup with dominant victory at San Mames Stadium in Bilbao
French sides have won the last six Champions Cups as Top 14 teams dominate Europe
Leinster wing Tommy O'Brien bagged opening try before Bordeaux scored five times to lead 35-7 at half-time
Player of the tournament Louis Bielle-Biarrey ran in two tries as Bordeaux showed all their brilliant attacking class
Joe McCarthy and Garry Ringrose scored in second half but Leinster have now lost five finals since their last European triumph in 2018
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux go back-to-back and Leinster, who have lost four of the past five finals in the competition, come up short again.
France's dominance of Europe continues, with Exeter the last non-French team to win the Champions Cup, back in 2020.
What an epic 2026 Investec Champions Cup.
Read the report here and look out for the Rugby Union Weekly podcast later.
See you next time.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux lock Adam Coleman, speaking to BBC Sport: "The boys stepped up in defence and set the platform.
"We are winning so will not change anything."
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux assistant coach Noel McNamara, speaking to BBC Sport: "The players understand what they are good at. When you do it once, it becomes easier.
"We took motivation from that and spoke about Rory McIlroy in the lead-up to the quarter-final against Toulouse.
"Good players win one green jacket, great players win two. We have fantastic players.
"They made the decision that one Champions Cup is not enough."
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux are fifth in the Top 14 and will want to win a first league title.
For such a great team, no Top 14 in the cabinet is baffling.
Toulon are next up next Saturday.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux wing Louis Bielle-Biarrey, speaking on Premier Sports: "This team is a big family. We are back-to-back champions and one of the best.
"We work a lot and it is really nice. We are always smiling, that is our mindset."
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Thank you, Bordeaux. That is all.
Kiwi, Cardiff
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux lock Adam Coleman, speaking to Premier Sports: "Young guys stepped up, and so did our front row. We won't think too far ahead [about winning the Top 14].
"And who knows [if we could win three Champions Cups in a row]."
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Bordeaux play as a team. Fantastic commitment and brilliant coaching. Leinster played brilliantly in the second half, but silly mistakes and determined defence lost them momentum every time.
Max Headroom, Dorset
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Nienaber should have been fired last year. Sadly, it's time for Leo to move on too. Sad to see him go, good riddance to Nienaber. We've gone backwards under him. We used to be fast and entertaining. Now, we're just bland and boring. I'd rather lose in style.
Derek, Dublin
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Bordeaux are dancing with their supporters. Maxime Lucu is leading the way.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Given how great Bordeaux are, you wonder if Leinster have missed their window of success in this competition.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Maxime Lucu carries over the Champions Cup and raises it into the air.
Back-to-back!
Image source, getFT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Louis Bielle-Biarrey walks past and kisses the Champions Cup.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Leinster captain Caelan Doris, speaking to Premier Sports: "You have to credit Bordeaux. Some of their attack in that first half was incredibly hard to deal with.
"It's an incredibly tough competition to win. I'm proud of the boys for the resilience they showed to keep coming back, and no doubt we'll be back better again next year.
"We've got to stay together. There's a special group of players, and there are some lads moving on, so we're going to have to celebrate them over the next couple of days before turning the page to finish the season with silverware."
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Chris Jones
BBC rugby union correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live at San Mames Stadium
Bordeaux are a modern-day great team with some modern-day great players in their team.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Leinster are up getting their silver medals. They are used to this.
Some top stars in their team have never won this competition.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Toulon went on to win three in a row, can Bordeaux?
Hit the thumbs.
FT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Leicester Tigers, Leinster, Toulon, Saracens, La Rochelle and Bordeaux.
Not many go back-to-back in the Champions Cup.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Andy Gray
BBC Sport NI at San Mames Stadium
I know it is to do with sponsorship, but it's absolutely bizarre to see life sized plastic zebras being carried onto the pitch as part of the trophy ceremony.
Leinster's players are solemnly walking around consoling each other, while there is a lot more to the Bordeaux celebrations on the other side of the halfway line.
Louis Bielle-Biarrey has just been named as player of the tournament, which has only added to the French joy in Bilbao.
Image source, Getty ImagesFT: Leinster 19-41 Bordeaux
Paul Grayson
Ex-Northampton and England fly-half on BBC Radio 5 Live at San Mames Stadium
Let's give absolute credit to the coaching team, the support staff and the players because what they've created is clearly a culture of hard work, honesty, and respect.
They gave Leinster the respect of playing their absolute best. Blimey! They've been epic, and they are deservedly the winners of the European Champions Cup.
Image source, Getty Images
