As Champions Cup finals go it was a reasonably well contested affair and part of the charm of the result was that it saw a new name engraved on the trophy, that of Union Bordeaux Bègles (UBB). While it didn’t break up the French hegemony in terms of dominating European rugby over a handful of years now, it did admit a new club to the inner sanctum.
That’s an important consideration in the greater scheme of things. Bordeaux are a relatively new club, founded in 2006 through the merger of Stade Bordelais and Club Athlétique Bordeaux-Bègles Gironde and represent the nouveau riche of French rugby. On Saturday Union Bordeaux Bègles confirmed that they are now a major player in European rugby.
Bordeaux demonstrated what is achievable when two tribes come to a table to negotiate a singular pathway in rugby terms. It’s not always an easy outcome. The model failed to take root in Wales, with hugely debilitating consequences for the sport as regional identities failed to inspire lasting loyalty.
How can the provinces break France’s dominance?
In contrast, Bordeaux’s rise has been underpinned by a clear sense of place and purpose: a strong supporter base, a core of French players and coaching structures that were dialled into the club’s ambitions to be able to compete in the Top 14 and Europe. It was predicated on getting the right people and players in situ and then providing them with the requisite support.
UBB’s progress has been based on a steady progression, top six finishes in the Top 14 since 2020, losing the domestic final to Toulouse last season and now, Champions Cup winners. Converting potential into trophies matters, not least because it reinforces that the work being done is properly attuned to the end goal.
For all talk of development, culture or process, it’s silverware that validates a project. Unsurprisingly, they’ve quickly turned their focus to the Top 14. Historically, teams chasing a double face a very tough assignment.
The emotional and physical toll of one final often leaves sides flat in the weeks that follow. You have to come down the mountain before you can start climbing again. You really have to be mentally and physically resilient when you embark on that journey to peak for a second time.
Leinster are on the opposite side of that coin, the last occasion they managed to win a trophy of note was the 2021 URC title. Since then, they have morphed into the “nearly men”, a tag no one wants. This season’s URC comes with a “now or never” ultimatum, a watershed moment that has the potential to lift the pall of disappointment.
The province’s obsession with the Champions Cup has left them susceptible to taking their eye off the URC prize. Once again, they have a shot to change that narrative. To not seize the opportunity would feel significant.
Key players are ageing. The discrepancy in standard between some frontline players and those that covet that status is, in some positions, a little wider than you’d like. As we’ve seen so often in sport, windows close faster than anyone anticipates.
It’s important to stress, Leo Cullen and Jacques Nienaber aren’t the ones who will decide whether Leinster lift silverware this season. That might sound counterintuitive, even unfair, considering the hours they pour into preparation.
But at this stage of the season with the sun beating down on battered bodies, only the players can propel Leinster to outright success. The loss to Northampton wasn’t a blip, based on the trail of tears in Europe over previous campaigns.
That defeat to Saints exposed something we don’t normally associate with Leinster teams − a lack of urgency. For long stretches, Leinster looked flat, hesitant, as if they were waiting for someone else to win it for them. The following week against Glasgow in the URC? More of the same, a team with more gears than a Bugatti Veyron but stuck in second.
This isn’t a systems issue. Leinster’s model is as detailed and well-drilled as any in Europe. Their support lines, defensive shape and breakdown presence all bear the mark of top-class coaching and organisation. But none of that matters when the mentality isn’t right.
And now comes the uncomfortable bit. This isn’t about refining a kick strategy or analysing lineout options. This is about each player looking inward, having that hard conversation with himself.
On paper, Leinster are still favourites to win the URC. There’s one caveat. How badly do they want it? When things go wrong, and they will at some stage, what happens then, in the 65th minute, when the lungs are burning, and the scoreboard is tight? Where do players look? What do they do? That’s not something a coach can instil. That’s internal. That’s yours alone as a player.
There are clear and present threats to Leinster’s aspirations. Glasgow will back themselves if they earn another shot at the Irish province. Munster are lurking and have been here before, excelling in adversity when they won the title.
The South African sides, as ever, click into gear when trophies come into view. But the greatest danger to Leinster might come from within. Carrying the psychological baggage of the Northampton defeat could prove fatal; the little voice expressing doubt can get very loud when you’re struggling in a match.
Those moments, that’s where great teams, truly great teams, find a way to push through. Leinster have yet to answer whether they are still in that category. They have the talent, the depth, the experience. But you must meet those assets halfway with the required conviction.
The URC run-in offers every incentive − home advantage, a partisan crowd and familiarity. But those can become pressure points too. Just like against Northampton, the sense of “we should win this” can quickly become “we must not lose this”. That’s when the shoulders tighten. That’s when instincts freeze. And that’s where the coaches’ influence ends.
If this group is to right the wrongs of recent seasons, it won’t be because Leo delivered a rousing speech or Jacques unveiled a new defensive scheme. It will be because the players accepted individual responsibility. It will be because the squad leaders demand standards, not hope they appear opportunely.
Leinster will want to be on active duty for the next three weekends. To accomplish that is a test of character as much as playing capacity. The most important work won’t happen in a team meeting or on the training pitch; it’ll be framed by what takes place after looking in the mirror.
