Ntamack and Dupont guide Toulouse into Champions Cup final

A fifth European title beckons as Top14 rivals Bordeaux fall short in maiden semi-final

Antoine Dupont makes a break during Toulouse’s win over Bordeaux. Photograph: Dave Winter /Inpho
Antoine Dupont makes a break during Toulouse’s win over Bordeaux. Photograph: Dave Winter /Inpho

Stade Toulousain 21 Bordeaux-Begles 9

Toulouse reached their first Heineken Champions Cup final since 2010 as they saw off Top 14 rivals Bordeaux-Begles 21-9 at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Matthis Lebel scored an early try and Antoine Dupont another late on en route to the hosts securing a seventh appearance in the final of a competition they have won four times.

Toulouse will now face the winners of Sunday’s clash between La Rochelle and Leinster in a showdown at Twickenham on May 22nd.

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Semi-final debutants Bordeaux took the lead in the third minute of the contest through a Matthieu Jalibert penalty.

Toulouse replied two minutes later with Lebel receiving the ball from Maxime Medard, evading two tackles and diving over to make it 5-3.

Romain Ntamack scores a penalty during Toulouse’s win over Bordeaux. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/Getty/AFP
Romain Ntamack scores a penalty during Toulouse’s win over Bordeaux. Photograph: Lionel Bonaventure/Getty/AFP

Another Jalibert penalty nudged the visitors back in front around the midway point of the first half, before one from Romain Ntamack ensured it was Toulouse with the advantage heading into the break.

That advantage was extended via Ntamack adding further penalties in the 45th and 64th minutes.

Jalibert subsequently brought it back to a one-score game with one more of his own in the 68th.

But the gap soon widened again as Dupont crossed with eight minutes to go, with Ntamack adding the conversion, in what proved the final say.

Toulouse won the trophy in 2010 having also done so in 1996, 2003 and 2005, while they were runners-up in 2004 and 2008.