As it happened: How Bordeaux Bègles defeated Munster in the Champions Cup quarter-final
Munster’s Jean Kleyn with Adam Coleman of Bordeaux. Pic: Dan Sheridan, Inpho
Full-time: All over. Munster summoned customary resilience to keep the contest entertaining until the finish, but in truth Bordeaux were vastly superior for long stretches. Set-piece malfunction, particularly the lineout, haunted Munster.
77 mins: That's it. The flying Bielle-Biarrey finishes a Bordeaux breakaway to put the issue beyond doubt. Bordeaux had introduced plenty of doubt about their credentials as overall winners in the previous 10 minutes, but are more than deserved victors here. Lucu, who has been outstanding, adds the conversion.
75 mins: Lucu saves Bordeaux bacon with a last-ditch tackle on Abrahams. Munster suddenly have found the fight they are famed for.
74 mins: Bordeaux's Cazeaux sent off on his second yellow. Bordeaux down to 13 with five to play. This isn't over.
72 mins: A fourth try for Munster. Andrew Smith gets in down the line after Jack Crowley slips him in. Conor Murray instrumental since his introduction. Munster somehow still alive, with Crowley landing a superb conversion. Bordeaux making life very difficult for themselves.
67 mins: Echegaray yellow card for a deliberate knock-on. Penalty try? Yes says ref Amashukeli, after much discussion, which seems quite a generous donation to Munster's cause. Crowley converts.
63 mins: Penaud just fails to reach another Jalibert kick through after a powerful Bordeaux rolling maul. Kendellen picks up yellow and Munster down to 13. Bordeaux almost in again but Munster concede a penalty at the foot of the post. Jalibert opts for the points. Home side can just manage this to the finish now. Ahern back in.
59 mins: Sean O'Brien (in for Kleyn) turnover pulls Munster out of a hole after Bordeaux go for the kill.
56 mins: Bordeaux try awarded after some TMO consultation. Munster looked to have held it up. Some handbags ensued before Lamonthe was awarded the try. Jalibert misses again but that had the look of a nail in the coffin.
54 mins: Munster replacement Ahern sees yellow. Tackling when offside. Munster fans holding baguettes in the crowd ruing some bread and butter mistakes.
53 mins: Kleyn doesn't let go on the ground and Jalibert can't miss this penalty. Bordeaux stretch advantage.
50 mins: Maybe they will! Try for Andrew Smith. Break by Tom Farrell, before Smith runs onto his own kick along the touchline to finish. Made in Connacht. Crowley's conversion attempt hits the upright. Two more converted tries needed. Still three minutes or so left in the yellow card.
49 mins: Stephen Archer is in for Munster. His 300th cap. Peter O'Mahony has also departed with Tom Ahern on. Is that O'Mahony's final European act in Munster red over? Or will his team win him another day on this stage?
48 mins: More errors half Munster momentum and Jalibert has a penalty attempt for the posts. Misses. Hasn't been flawless from the tee today.
46 mins: Munster rewarded for some slick phases with offside penalty. Crowley puts into touch. But Munster lineout malfunctions again and Bordeaux temporarily relieve pressure. Bordeaux concede another penalty. Yellow card coming. Cazeaux the culprit. Opportunity now for Munster. Gazotti in for Bordeaux 6 Diaby.
Bit of bantz by Tameifuna.
A bit of back-and-forth between Ben Tameifuna and the Munster fans 😂#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/r7EG93sqdi
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 12, 2025
41 mins: Back underway. Great kick by Jack Crowley into the 22 to get Munster on front foot. This time Munster win the lineout, but forward pass by Nankivell spoils momentum. Scrum Bordeaux.
Half-time: Simon Zebo on Premier Sport says Munster have struggled to deal with Bordeaux's offloading game. Impressed with variety and depth of home side's attack.
43 mins: A glimmer for Munster as Nankivell gets over from a sharp Casey pass close to the line. Could they possibly rescue this? Crowley adds the extras to cut half-time gap to 19. On balance of play Munster have been schooled, but could that breakthrough deal Bordeaux a psychological blow?
38 mins: Niall Scannell is in for Diarmuid Barron. The lineout has been one of Munster's several issues.
34 mins: A fourth try for Bordeaux. Ball swung across the pitch from the five-metre scrum. Bielle-Biarrey couldn't quite get in but instead popped up for Echegaray to finish. Jalibert converts. They will write a few plays about this one if Munster turn it round from here.
32 mins: Bordeaux butcher another clear opportunity. Jack Crowley stops the move with a knock-on, but scrum not penalty try.
30 mins: Jalibert misses after Munster concede a cheap penalty. A let-off. Munster need to hold the ball for a bit, slow Bordeaux down.
24 mins: Outrageous try by Bordeaux's Pete Samu after some brilliant running lines. Though Munster looked way off the pace, allowing Bielle-Biarrey stroll onto a chip kick forward to begin another free-flowing move. Munster look shellshocked. Jalibert converts.
21 mins: Eventually Tadhg Beirne comes up with a massive turnover after Bordeaux seemed certain to add the third try. The French side looking to put this to bed early but could that be a turning point?
19 mins: Hodnett pinged for playing ball on the ground. Bordeaux put the penalty in the corner. Turning the screw. Munster defend well to keep out Bielle-Biarrey after Bordeaux spread it to the other side.
13 mins: Is this a Bordeaux try? Penaud causes chaos again with a gliding run. Lucu dots down after a bit of a mess. Try stands. Ball rebounded off Wycherley into the scrum-half's path. This looks ominous for Munster. Jalibert converts. The try came after another free-flowing Bordeaux passage opened Munster up.
11 mins: Munster off their feet according to referee Amashukeli. Penalty for Bordeaux, but potentially greater sanction for Kleyn for a marginal hit. TMO involved. "Just a rugby collision" is the verdict. Kleyn was low enough to stay right side of the line. Jalibert knocks over the penalty.
9 mins: Good scrummaging from the visitors. Penalty for Munster which Jack Crowley converts. Munster on the board. Entertaining opening to this quarter-final.
5 mins: Out of nowhere, brilliant Bordeaux try by Penaud, his 12th of the tournament. Jalibert misses the extras. It was a superbly weighted kick through from Jalibert to put Bordeaux's try-scoring machine in in the corner.
4 mins: Scare for Munster with Nankivell needing treatment after all the efforts to secure his appearance today. Seems fine though.
3 mins: Bordeaux serve notice of predictable intent to run from everywhere with string of offloads.
1 min: Statement of early intent by Munster with Coombes driving into the Bordeaux 22, before a knock-on relieves the early pressure.
3pm: Jack Crowley kickoff gets the match underway.
Today's teams:
J Echegaray; D Penaud, Y Moefana, R Janse van Rensburg, L Bielle-Biarrey; M Jalibert, M Lucu – captain; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; C Cazeaux, A Coleman; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu
C Sa, M Perchaud, S Falatea, P Bochaton, M Gazotti, B Vergnes-Taillefer, Y Lesgourgues, P Uberti.
T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, A Nankivell, A Smith; J Crowley, C Casey; J Wycherley, D Barron, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne - captain; P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
N Scannell, M Donnelly, S Archer, F Wycherley, T Ahern, C Murray, S O’Brien, A Kendellen.
Nika Amashukeli (Georgia)
In full voice.
Low lie the fields of Bordeaux. Follow Munster on our liveblog https://t.co/U4syM8gogO pic.twitter.com/aHrCIFVeNg
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) April 12, 2025
2:45pm: Simon Lewis was on hand earlier as Munster supporters greeted the arrival of the Bordeaux team.
Simon Lewis is at the scene as Munster fans greet the home side’s arrival at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. Kick off v Bordeaux 3pm. Follow the action on the @examinersport liveblog pic.twitter.com/dKs5t9fsOV
— Irish Examiner Sport (@ExaminerSport) April 12, 2025
Some pre-match reading:
> Calvin Nash is keen to go after Bordeaux's weaknesses
> Bordeaux was where Munster's glorious European adventure began
> Ronan O'Gara: Bordeaux beware — I learned Munster have appetite for the occasion again
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