Bordeaux-Begles beat Bath 38-26 in the Investec Champions Cup semi-final on 2026-05-03 at the sold-out 42,000-seat Stade Atlantique Bordeaux Metropole. [1]
Bath went ahead through tries from Will Muir, who scored twice, Louie Hennessey and Tom Carr-Smith, with Finn Russell adding 3 conversions. Bordeaux replied with tries from Marko Gazzotti, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Maxime Lucu, Ben Tameifuna and Temo Matiu, while Lucu landed 5 conversions and a penalty. [1]
Bordeaux took control after the break, with late tries from Tameifuna and Matiu pushing them clear. [1]
Bath head coach Johann van Graan criticised the consistency of television match official footage supplied by French broadcasters and said some Bordeaux foul play had been missed. He said, "Yes. All we want is consistency on both sides of the ball right through the competition. I believe specifically that three carries from Alfie Barbeary made direct contact to the head. I want to make clear that the better team won on the day, but I want to ask why certain things are not picked up when you play away from home in France." [1]
The loss ended Bath's first top-tier European semi-final in 20 years and left them still waiting for a Champions Cup title after a 29-year drought. [1]
