All eyes will be on San Mames Stadium on Saturday afternoon and Racing Post tipster Alex Jack is expecting Bordeaux Begles to do the business and retain their European Rugby Champions Cup crown when they face Leinster in Bilbao.
The Top 14 outfit find themselves back in the showpiece event, 12 months on from their 28-20 victory over Northampton Saints in last season’s Champions Cup finale.
In great form and with a team brimming with attacking talent, Bordeaux might well have too much quality for a Leinster side who have developed the unenviable habit of losing to French teams in European finals.
Leinster v Bordeaux Begles Tips Summary
Best Bet - Bordeaux Begles -5.5 handicap @ 10/11
Alternative Bet - Louis Bielle-Biarrey anytime tryscorer @ 1/1
Bet Builder - Bordeaux Begles to win, over 49.5 total points & Maxime Lucu anytime tryscorer @ 6/1
Leinster v Bordeaux Begles Prediction
Best Bet: Bordeaux Begles -5.5 handicap @ 10/11
It’s fair to say Leinster have a mixed record when it comes to finals in Europe’s elite club competition.
Winning the title on four occasions, the Irish province have been beaten finalists just as many times.
Losing to French opposition in three of the last four European Champions Cup finals, many of these Leinster players will have harrowing memories of this showpiece event.
The same does not apply to Bordeaux, who got the job done and held their nerve in their first-ever Champions Cup final last season.
With France internationals Maxime Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert in the half-backs, Bordeaux have two generals who can unleash a potent backline.
Alternative Bet: Louis Bielle-Biarrey anytime tryscorer @ 1/1
Scoring tries in both the round of 16 and the semi-finals, Bordeaux winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey continues to shine on the big stage.
Named the Six Nations Player of the Tournament for the second consecutive year earlier this season, Bielle-Biarre is establishing himself as one of the game's all-time greats.
Scoring 22 tries in his last 19 appearances for both club and country, Bielle-Biarre is hard to overlook in the anytime tryscorer market.
Leinster v Bordeaux Begles Bet Builder Tip
Bordeaux Begles to win
Over 49.5 total points
Maxime Lucu anytime tryscorer
Pays 6/1
Continuing with the theme that Bordeaux Begles will triumph in this weekend’s final in Spain, a match with 50 or more points is also tipped up in this three-fold bet builder.
Leinster have the quality in their side, which is brimming with Ireland internationals, to build up the scoreline and going for the over 49.5 total points appeals, especially after Bordeaux’s 64-point shootout with Bath in their semi-final.
Meanwhile, scrum-half Lucu is backed to produce another tryscoring performance, having also scored tries in the round of 16 against Leicester Tigers and the semi win over Bath.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Bordeaux Begles won last season’s Champions Cup final 28-20 against Northampton Saints
Bordeaux beat reigning Gallagher Prem champions Bath 38-26 in the semi-finals
Leinster beat Toulon 29-25 in their semi-final at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin
Leinster have lost to French sides in three of the last four Champions Cup finals
No team has appeared in more Champions Cup finals than Leinster (8)
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
