Defending champions Bordeaux Begles defeated Bath 38-26 on Sunday to advance to their second consecutive Champions Cup final. The French side will face Leinster on May 23 in Bilbao, Spain.
Tries from Marko Gazzotti, Louis Bielle-Biarrey, Maxime Lucu, Ben Tameifuna, and Temo Matiu powered Bordeaux to victory at the Matmut Atlantique stadium. Lucu also added 13 points from conversions and penalties.
Winger Will Muir scored two tries for Bath, with Louie Hennessey and Tom Carr-Smith also crossing the line. Finn Russell contributed six points from the tee.
A 10-minute weather delay preceded the match. Bordeaux scored within two minutes through Gazzotti, but Bath's Muir answered back. Bordeaux extended their lead to 24-12 at halftime after Lucu's converted try and penalty.
Bath narrowed the gap to five points in the second half, but a yellow card to Charlie Ewels allowed Bordeaux to pull away. Matiu sealed the win with a try in the 77th minute.
Bordeaux flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert said his team managed to turn the match around, recognizing the challenge ahead against Leinster, calling them among the very best in Europe.
The loss ends Bath's quest for their first Champions Cup final appearance since 1998. Russell expressed frustration but acknowledged the team's progress.