Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Bordeaux’s Damian Penaud scores their first try.Dan Sheridan/INPHO Champions Cup Munster go down swinging after sloppy start in Bordeaux The province paid the price for a damaging first half performance. 5.11pm, 12 Apr 2025 Share options Ciarán Kennedy Reports from Stade Chaban-Delmas Bordeaux-Bègles 47 A TIDAL WAVE of Bordeaux brilliance ended Munster’s Champions Cup ambitions for another season after a roller-coaster contest at the Stade Chaban-Delmas. It was always going to be difficult for Munster to back up last Saturday’s win in La Rochelle against this wonderfully talented Bordeaux side, but the manner of today’s 47-29 quarter-final defeat will leave the province wondering what might have been. A deeply damaging opening 33 minutes saw Munster torn to shreds, their errors compounding as Bordeaux gladly may them pay for their mistakes. The game was over as a contest long before the sweet respite of half time arrived. Munster would manage to summon a determined second half rally to give their supporters hope, scoring three second-half tries, but they were always fighting against the tide. Bordeaux’s four first half tries all came from Munster errors, and while the province will be frustrated to have allowed so many handling mistakes and loose lineouts mount up, the French side were utterly ruthless, showcasing some sumptuous handling and wonderful running lines. Munster couldn’t live with the speed and accuracy of their hosts, who revelled in trying to silence the strong travelling support. After last weekend’s memorable scenes in La Rochelle, an estimated 2,500 Munster fans made their way to Bordeaux this weekend. They came dreaming of another famous away day, and while there were brilliant scenes both outside the stadium and in the stands before kick-off, they had little to shout about across a harrowing first half, with Damian Penaud, Maxime Lucu, Peter Samu and Jon Echegaray scoring the Bordeaux tries before Alex Nankivell pulled one back with the final play of the opening period. Munster's Tom Farrell with Mahamadou Diaby of Bordeaux.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Munster actually made an encouraging start, moving the ball swiftly through their hands before Gavin Coombes brought them into the 22. Tom Farrell made a dart for the line but the ball was knocked on as he tried release to Andrew Smith. Soon after, Bordeaux were showing them how it’s done. Jack Crowley’s attempted pass to Tadhg Beirne drifted forward around halfway, and off the resulting scrum Bordeaux kicked into action. In a flash the ball was shifted to Mathieu Jalibert, restored to the starting team as Joey Carbery dropped out of the matchday squad, and the French 10 clipped through a lovely kick for Penaud to chase. It bounced, bobbled and bounced again as Penaud won the footrace against Thaakir Abrahams, with Jalibert’s conversion striking the post. Coming up to 10 minutes Crowley gladly took three points from close range to get Munster on the board. Bordeaux replied instantly, Jalibert adding his first penalty after tighthead prop Ben Tameifuna took heavy blows from John Hodnett and Jean Kleyn. The Bordeaux fans wanted a card but the TMO review didn’t agree. As Jalibert split the posts, Tameifuna encouraged the taunting Munster fans to keep making noise. Munster were beginning to crumble. An overthrown lineout put Bordeaux back on the front foot, with Penaud sprinting for the line. His attempted kick through bounced off Abrahams and rebounded off flanker Guido Petti, leaving the ball scuttling dangerously towards the Munster line. Josh Wycherley scampered back but let the ball bobble through, with Lucu on hand to score. This time, Jalibert converted with ease. Munster lost another lineout on their own throw before the electrifying Louis Bielle-Biarrey was being stopped by Abrahams, who was racing around trying to put out fires in the backfield. He had some help, and Beirne came up with a massive turnover on the edge of the Munster tryline to momentarily ease the pressure. Advertisement But only momentarily. Farrell knocked-on and Munster were slow to react. Jalibert kicked into the Munster half and Tameifuna made ground with a powerful carry and slick hands to keep the ball alive. Bordeaux went hunting down the left but were shut out. They explored their options on the right, where 19-year-old fullback Echegaray – starting in the Champions Cup for the first time – glided through a cluster of Munster bodies before sending Samu over, with Jalibert adding the extras. Samu scored Bordeaux's third try.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO Twenty-five minutes on the clock, and already Munster were staring into what looked an insurmountable task. Jalibert was back over the tee after Wycherley went off his feet, but the French out-half pushed his effort wide. Bordeaux’s fourth try arrived after Crowley dropped a Nankivell pass. Bielle-Biarrey went chasing the scraps and somehow freed the ball for Samu, who was tackled to ground by Smith. Bordeaux sent a chip into the right corner and Crowley’s outstretched hand killed the switch pass back inside. Bordeaux kept possession from the scrum and moved the ball left to right, where Bielle-Biarrey had a snipe before working the ball to Echegaray, who polished it off. Jalibert’s conversion pushed Bordeaux into a 29-3 lead. Munster ended the half in the Bordeaux 22 and almost three minutes past the 40, they finally broke through, Nankivell going over from close range after a big Kleyn carry from a tap-and-go, with Crowley converting. They trailed by 19 at the break, by which point they had already lost six of their own lineouts. Bordeaux took the foot off after the restart and mounting penalties led to a yellow card for lock Cyril Cazeaux, before Jalibert continued his mixed return off the tee with another missed penalty. Munster needed a moment. Farrell spotted some space and went through the middle of the Bordeaux defence. Crowley fed Nankivell and the centre flung a beautiful pass to Smith, hugging the touchline. From all of 40 metres, the former Connacht man had to go it alone. He had the pace to keep up with his chip through and it bounced helpfully back into his arms before he dived over, with Crowley’s conversion smacking the post. Andrew Smith crossed early in the second half for Munster.Dan Sheridan / INPHO Dan Sheridan / INPHO / INPHO At the other end, Jalibert was accurate with his latest penalty effort, before Tom Ahern was sent to the bin for an offside tackle. Bordeaux surged forward again but appeared to be held up over the line as Maxime Lamothe went through. Referee Nika Amashukeli made the on-field decision that the try was good, and the TMO check satisfied him – although the Munster crowd were far from convinced. Approaching the hour mark Crowley knocked-on in attempting to retrieve a Bordeaux kick into the Munster 22. Bordeaux poured into action from the scrum and were on the edge of the Munster tryline when they were pinged for holding on. The home side were enjoying themselves. Penaud hared after a kick into the corner but couldn’t get his hands to the ball as it bounced out of play, before Jalibert added another penalty. Munster tried to summon something and the gap was cut to 18 with 12 minutes to play. Echegaray picked up the third yellow card of the game for a deliberate knock-on, sticking a hand out as Sean O’Brien aimed a pass at Farrell, with the offence also resulting in a penalty try. Munster were teasising the improbable as the travelling support found their voice again, The Fields of Athenry belting out. With eight left on the clock, Crowley’s chip through sent Smith over for his second. Crowley converted and it was an 11-point game. Bordeaux were rocked, and Cazeaux picked up his second yellow of the afternoon, leaving the hosts a man down for the final rumble. Even the Munster coaching box were on their feet. Then the final, killer blow. Farrell was swallowed up in the tackle by Yoram Moefana, and Bordeaux spilled into the counter-ruck to take the ball back. The passes linked and Bielle-Biarrey tore clear to score Bordeaux’s sixth try, converted by Lucu. Munster were finally out of the game, their spirited fightback not enough to undo the damage done in the first half. They went down swinging. Bordeaux-Bègles scorers: Tries – Penaud, Lucu, Samu, Echegaray, Lamothe, Bielle-Biarrey Penalties – Jalibert [3/5] Conversions – Jalibert [3/5], Lucu [1/1] Munster scorers: Tries – Nankivell, Smith, penalty try Penalties – Crowley [1/1] Conversions – Crowley [2/3] BORDEAUX-BEGLES: Jon Echegaray; Damian Penaud, Yoram Moefana, Rohan Janse van Rensburg (Pablo Uberti, 55), Louis Bielle-Biarrey; Matthieu Jalibert (Yann Lesgourgues, 68), Maxime Lucu (capt); Jefferson Poirot (Matis Perchaud, 54), Maxime Lamothe (Connor Sa, 63), Ben Tameifuna (Sipili Falatea, 54); Adam Coleman (Pierre Bochaton, 57), Cyril Cazeaux; Mahamadou Diaby (Marko Gazzotti, 46), Guido Petti, Pete Samu (Bastien Vergnes-Taillefer, 59). Yellow cards: Cyril Cazeaux 47, 75, Echegaray 67 MUNSTER: Thaakir Abrahams; Calvin Nash (Seán O’Brien, 59), Tom Farrell, Alex Nankivell, Andrew Smith; Jack Crowley, Craig Casey; Josh Wycherley, Diarmuid Barron (Niall Scannell, 38), Oli Jager (Stephen Archer, 49); Jean Kleyn ( Fineen Wycherley, 59), Tadhg Beirne (capt), Peter O’Mahony (Tom Ahern, 49), John Hodnett, Gavin Coombes (Alex Kendellen, 63). Yellow cards: Ahern, 54, Kendellan, 63 Referee: Nika Amashukeli [GEO]. Ciarán Kennedy View 7 comments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Munster go down swinging after sloppy start in Bordeaux”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Munster go down swinging after sloppy start in Bordeaux”. Your Feedback Your Email (optional) Report a Comment Please select the reason for reporting this comment. Please give full details of the problem with the comment... This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. 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