Bordeaux driven to glory by pain of French final drubbing

CARDIFF :When the Bordeaux-Begles players and staff trooped off the pitch having been crushed 59-3 by Toulouse in last year's Top 14 final, they vowed to return better and stronger this year and on Saturday, match-hardened, they finally tasted glory.

Founded via a merger of clubs in 2006 and promoted to the Top 14 in 2011 they lifted their first major trophy in impressive style when they snuffed out the previously potent threat of Northampton to win the European Champions Cup with a 28-20 victory in Cardiff's Principality Stadium.

Revenge against Toulouse had come in the semi-finals but it was not so much the sparkling backline attacking play they showed there that made the difference on Saturday as their forward power and defensive intensity that blunted a Northampton backline full of England internationals.

Damian Penaud did score two tries to take his season's tally in the competition to 14 - earning him the player of the year award - but Bordeaux's relentless driving mauls and straight running sucked the energy out of a Northampton side who drained the tanks in trying to keep them at bay.

Conductor-in-chief was scrumhalf and captain Maxime Lucu, who also took over the goal-kicking duties after some wobbles by Matthieu Jalibert.

His penalty broke the 20-20 halftime deadlock and Bordeaux sealed the deal - the fifth title in a row for France - with Cyril Cazeaux's try.

"It feels good to have this first trophy, it wasn’t easy," said Lucu after being named man of the match. "We had some very tough moments, but we hung in there.

"Honestly, it feels great - for the club, for the team, for the supporters. After defeat last year (in the Top 14 final) to come back this year, eliminate almost every team that had won this competition,