Australian rugby stars – including three former Wallabies now thriving overseas – have excelled in the semi-finals of the Champions Cup to set up a showdown in Europe’s top club event.
Pete Samu, the 33-time capped Wallaby, went over for a glorious early try as Union Bordeaux-Begles ended Toulouse’s two-year unbeaten run in the tournament, brilliantly winning the all-French battle 35-18 victory at the Matmut Atlantique on Sunday to reach the final for the first time.
In the final later this month, Bordeaux-Begles, also featuring ex-Australia lock Adam Coleman, will play English side Northampton, who were propelled to a famous, unexpected and rather epic 37-34 victory over Irish favourites Leinster in Dublin on Saturday.
The ‘Saints’ emerged triumphant with five tries, including one from their popular Australian fullback James Ramm, while former Wallabies’ back-rower Josh Kemeny shone and Angus Scott-Young came off the bench to help them become the first English finalists since Exeter won in 2020.
The five Aussies will do battle in the final on May 24 in Cardiff’s Principality Stadium as Northampton seek to end French Top 14 clubs’ recent domination of the title.
It won’t be easy for Northampton with Bordeaux-Begles having looked mightily strong in kayoing the six-time champions with tries from Samu, Louis Bielle-Biarrey (2), Pierre Bochaton and Ben Tameifuna, while Matthieu Jalibert and Maxime Lucu impressed with valuable booted points.
Toulouse, who’d been unbeaten since losing in the 2023 semi-finals to Leinster, responded with two tries from Dimitri Delibes and Pierre-Louis Barassi but were crucially weakened by the absence of the injured Antoine Dupont, Blair Kinghorn, Thomas Ramos and Peato Mauvaka.
“They had a 10-minute spell of domination and we did not crack. We’re so happy to qualify in front of our fans as we’ve been through very tough moments,” said Jalibert, referring to Toulouse’s 59-3 win against UBB in last season’s Top 14 final.
The 33-year-old veteran Tasmanian lock Coleman, capped 38 times by Australia, is of Tongan descent and now playing his international rugby for the Pacific Island.
He only lasted 28 minutes after failing a head injury assessment following his tackle on Julien Marchand.
On Saturday, Sydneysider Ramm, the former Waratahs wing who played just once for Australia’s under-20s but hasn’t yet played played a senior international even though he’s eligible for New Zealand, England and the Wallabies, was a stand-out at 15.
Kemeny, who played at the last World Cup for the Wallabies, was also in fine form in the back row battle but did receive a late yellow for a high shot on Rabah Slimani that forced the Saints into an almighty backs-to-the-wall struggle to eke out their three-point win.
