'Too high a mountain' as Leinster's wait goes on

ByAndy Gray

BBC Sport NI journalist at San Mames Stadium, Bilbao

Leinster travelled to Bilbao with dreams of a fifth European star to add to their badge.

They had hoped for redemption in the Basque city, the site of their last Champions Cup triumph in 2018, where they could wipe away the pain of their previous four defeats.

However, after being blown away by a superb Bordeaux performance in the first half, this one will arguably hurt more than most.

Players and staff had talked about the "fine margins" of previous final defeats, but on Saturday the gulf could not have been clearer.

Tommy O'Brien crossed early but what followed was a display of power and poise, largely dictated by Maxime Lucu, Mathieu Jalibert and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.

By the time Yoram Moefana raced under the posts after intercepting Harry Byrne's pass at the end of the first half, the game was done and dusted with Bordeaux leading 35-7.

Leinster improved after the restart and Bordeaux weren't quite as fluid, but the damage was done and the Top 14 side ran out 41-19 winners.

"I think a bit of a theme of the season has been finding a way," captain Caelan Doris told BBC Radio 5Live.

"We've been behind several times and there's been composure and finding a way, but despite a good effort in the second half it was too high a mountain to climb."

For Bordeaux, it underlines their status as one of the greatest sides in club rugby.

They made Leinster, a side comprised of 14 Ireland stars and one All Black in Rieko Ioane, look average in the first half.

Heading into the stadium their fans marched together in song, with flags flying as they weaved their way through the historic streets of Bilbao.

Their players were also in unison from first minute to last as they won back-to-back European titles.

They become only the sixth side to defend the Champions Cup, and the manner of their win suggests they aren't slowing down any time soon.

"This team is a big family. We are back-to-back champions and one of the best," Bielle-Biarrey said on Premier Sports after being named player of the tournament with nine tries to his name.

"We work a lot and it is really nice. We are always smiling, that is our mindset."

Given their recent success, Cullen added that "everyone will be going for Bordeaux" next season to deny the French side a- three-peat.

"They have done their back-to-back and they will be going for three in a row to replicate what Toulon have done in the past.

"Everyone will be chasing them as they are clearly the best team in the competition- right now."

He added that Bordeaux were better at "split-second stuff" and their clinical edge made the difference.

"We knew it was going to be a tough challenge and we knew we underdogs. They were favourites for a reason and they were that bit better than us today."

In the previous four final defeats, one each at the hands of Saracens and Toulouse and two by La Rochelle, Leinster had stayed in the fight for most of the games.

That had led to the message of the "fine margins" that had decided those finals, but Cullen was left to admit "the game got away from us" as Bordeaux raced clear.

"It's just how the game played out but it was different to other finals, for sure," Cullen said.

"We'll go through it, but it is a pressure cooker out there. It's frustrating, you want to give a better account of yourselves and have that ruthless mindset in terms of execution. We're not quite there, but credit to Bordeaux."

While there was more European heartbreak, Leinster's season is far from over.

They host the Lions in the United Rugby Championship quarter-finals, and will be one of the favourites to win that title despite an indifferent season.

Cullen said "we have the opportunity to turn the page" on the domestic front.

"We'll not look too far ahead right now, we'll focus on the review.

"It would be a nice thing to go after and any time you win a trophy it needs to be celebrated, so it would still be a success if we could still win a trophy."

But for now they have to lick their wounds and regroup quickly.

"It's not like we're a million miles away. I know there was a decent gap in the scorelines but if you reflect on the game and the stats in the game, it's a reflection of how clinical Bordeaux were," Cullen added.

"The speed in how they do things is very impressive. That's the bit we need to get after.

"We need to reflect as a group, take stock on how we move forward as a group. We weren't good enough today but every year there are things we will try and go after."