The 2025/26 European Rugby Champions Cup campaign is drawing to a close, as all eyes turn to the San Mames Stadium in Bilbao.
Four time winners Leinster will take on defending champions Bordeaux Begles in a bumper European Rugby Champions Cup final, with both sides flawless in this competition so far.
As two of rugby's best sides at the moment, it should come as little surprise just how imperious both have been, winning every single one of their matches to this point.
With the final getting ever closer, let's take a look at both team's route to the European Rugby Champions Cup final.
Leinster route to the Champions Cup final
- Group Stage: 45-28 W v Harlequins
- Group Stage: 15-23 W v Leicester Tigers
- Group Stage: 25-24 W v La Rochelle
- Group Stage: 13-22 W v Bayonne
- Round of 16: 49-31 W v Edinburgh
- Quarter-Finals: 43-13 W v Sale Sharks
- Semi-finals: 29-25 W v Toulon
While mathematically topping their group with relative ease, Leinster toiled somewhat throughout the group stages, winning all but one of their matches by less than 10 points.
In fact, the Irishmen struggled on the most part in their two away matches, only streaking more than one score clear at the end of both.
Despite this, they have looked really strong in the knockout rounds, winning a home round of 16 tie against fellow United Rugby Championship side Edinburgh 49-31.
Drawn on what is widely seen as the easier side of the draw, Leinster then faced a home tie with Gallagher Prem strugglers Sale Sharks in the quarter finals, despatching them 43-13 without getting out of first gear.
Their first real test of the knockout stages arrived in the semi finals on 'neutral ground' - neutral in quotes because it was hosted at Leinster's second home, the Aviva Stadium - against French giants Toulon.
Leinster fought their way through the match, eventually winning a tight contest 29-25 to reach the showpiece in Bilbao.
Bordeaux route to the Champions Cup final
- Group Stage: 33-46 W v Bulls
- Group Stage: 50-21 W v Scarlets
- Group Stage: 50-28 W v Northampton Saints
- Group Stage: 15-27 W v Bristol Bears
- Round of 16: 64-14 W v Leicester Tigers
- Quarter-Finals: 30-15 W v Toulouse
- Semi-finals: 38-26 W v Bath
In direct contrast to Leinster, Bordeaux have cruised through a relatively tough schedule so far, as they look to retain this trophy - which they only won for the first time last season.
The Frenchmen scored around 50 points in all of their first three group stage matches, comfortably dispatching the Bulls, the Scarlets and last season's losing finalists Northampton Saints.
They did struggle to a win somewhat against Bristol in their final group game, though they were already confirmed through at that stage.
In the knockouts, Bordeaux dismantled a rotated Leicester Tigers team 64-14 in the round of 16 to set up an all-French affair with Toulouse in the quarter finals.
Bordeaux managed the contest well and ran out 30-15 victors in a fixture that many thought could easily have been the final.
After reaching the semi finals stage, Bordeaux were then tasked with defeating defending Gallagher Prem and EPCR Challenge Cup champions Bath Rugby, in what was a potential banana skin matchup.
Bordeaux responded well and soundly defeated the Blue, Black and Whites 38-26 on 'neutral ground' - again in quotation marks because it was held at their own stadium.
Leinster and Bordeaux Begles will go head to head in the European Rugby Champions Cup final on Saturday 23rd May, kicking off at 14:45 BST.
