Champions Cup Team of the Season: Bordeaux Begles dominate after earning their first star

The Champions Cup concluded with Bordeaux Begles winning the competition for the first time in their history, with a 28-20 win over Northampton Saints at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff. 

Both teams were unfancied going into the competition and were huge underdogs in their respective semi-finals, so in many ways it was a good final to watch for the neutrals. 

With so many games played since the pool stages, lots of different players have had their moment in the spotlight. 

Here, Charlie Elliott selects his Team of the Tournament for the 2024/25 Champions Cup. 

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15 Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints) 

Three wingers stood out especially, with Freeman being one of them. Given that he had spells at fullback across Northampton Saints’ campaign, he slots into this team at 15 instead of on either wing. 

He made the most metres out of anyone in the competition, racking up an astounding 755m in total, scored nine tries and got a hat-trick in the semi-final against Leinster. 

Pretty much a shoo-in, Freeman was unbelievable and was unfortunate not to have come away with silverware. 

14 Damian Penaud (Bordeaux Begles) 

The Champions Cup Player of the Year, if there was anyone who could be considered the first name in this squad, it was Penaud. 

His total of 14 tries is a new record for the competition in a single season and was five more than second-placed Freeman’s amount. 

Penaud managed to score two for UBB in the final, spearheading the attack in Cardiff. 

He also had the most clean breaks and defenders beaten out of anyone in the competition. 

While the whole backline had a great campaign, Penaud converted the chances into tries and was a key figure in their title. 

13 Yoram Moefana (Bordeaux Begles) 

Moefana topped the tackle charts with a mammoth 89 tackles made, which hugely helped Bordeaux on their way to a first Champions Cup title. 

Equally comfortable at 12 or 13, the France international kept things together for Yannick Bru’s side, and his tackle count is even more impressive given how dominant his side was. 

He was able to put himself about defensively even when his side were on top, which is exactly what a strong team like Bordeaux needs. 

12 Jordie Barrett (Leinster) 

Leinster had a very disappointing Champions Cup campaign with their exit in the semis against Saints, but up to that point were the best team in the competition. 

Barrett had the most carries of any player with 103 and kept his side’s attack fluid and on the front foot. 

Started on the bench in that fateful semi, and had he started, the result may have been very different. 

11 Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Bordeaux Begles) 

What can be said about Louis Bielle-Biarrey? The man is an absolutely unbelievable talent and really stepped up for UBB. 

He scored eight tries, which was the third most in the competition and meant that either wing was just as dangerous as the other for Bordeaux. 

LBB also had the fourth most clean breaks, but generally was just a menace to defences and a big reason behind their success. 

10 Matthieu Jalibert (Bordeaux Begles) 

This position was a huge toss-up between Jalibert and Fin Smith, and the former gets in due to his success over Smith in the final. 

Not only in the final, but also in the semis, the Frenchman stepped up and delivered when it mattered. 

Made the right decisions, kicked well from the tee and made UBB a team impossible to defend against. 

9 Maxime Lucu (Bordeaux Begles) 

Similar to the last selection, this could have easily gone to Saints’ Alex Mitchell, who misses out due to a lack of silverware. 

Lucu had the second most tackles of anyone in the competition, which shows his tenacious side and shows that UBB did have a fair bit of bite to them across the board. 

He was also a superb playmaker, with the third most passes, too. 

1 Jefferson Poirot (Bordeaux Begles) 

For all of the talent at UBB’s disposal, they also need players who are just going to put their head down and put a graft in.

That was the 32-year-old’s role in the eventual champions’ team. 

Poirot grabbed seven jackals in total, which was the sixth most of anyone and had a 92% tackle success rate. 

2 Curtis Langdon (Northampton Saints) 

Langdon really stepped up for Saints and his inclusion is a huge credit to him, given that he isn’t the biggest or most popular name at the hooker position. 

Outplayed talent such as Dan Sheehan, who is rated much higher within the game. 

He was top ten in three key stats for his position: tackles, turnovers won and carries. 

Really impressive and a deserved inclusion. 

3 Ben Tameifuna (Bordeaux Begles) 

In a similar fashion to Poirot, Tameifuna kept his head down and delivered composure and experience to UBB. 

Where he differs is that he had a couple of very memorable moments. 

Two tries scored in the round of 16 against Ulster and the semis against Toulouse showed he had the ability to step up during key moments for his team. 

4 Thibaud Flament (Toulouse) 

An absolute workhorse, Flament was the physical presence that kept Toulouse on the front foot from set pieces. 

Without him, their backs would not have had as much joy as they did on route to the semis. 

In their defeat against UBB, he put absolutely everything on the line and was one of the best players in the game. 

Their pack won the battle that day, but it was just unfortunate that the side ended up losing. 

5 Alex Coles (Northampton Saints) 

Has really blossomed into a top player and a crucial man for Saints this season, especially in the Champions Cup. 

An absolute monster in the second row, Coles stepped up when it mattered and bagged two tries in the final. 

Brought a huge presence from set pieces and was an outstanding member of a pack which so often provided the platform for the backs to work from.

6 Guido Petti (Bordeaux Begles) 

He was very reliable from the lineout and was another who gave his side a huge physical edge at times. 

Worked tirelessly in the knockouts to ensure his side managed to get through, especially against Toulouse, where he put in a stunning performance with some very strong carries. 

Possibly the perfect player UBB could have in this position, given their playstyle. 

7 Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints) 

A star is born. Pollock won the most tackles and turnovers in the competition, scored the fourth most tries and managed to live rent-free in the heads of so many opponents. 

The confidence and ability to step up at such a young age are remarkable, and the hype that surrounds him now is justified. 

He likely won’t be on Jalibert’s Christmas card list, judging by the aftermath of the final, but can be hugely proud of his performances. 

Rugby is a better place with Henry Pollock in it. What a player. 

8 Juarno Augustus (Northampton Saints) 

This position could have quite easily been filled by Pete Samu, who was outstanding for UBB, but Augustus just about edges it. 

The Saints number eight was solid across the whole campaign, but Samu was better in the latter stages, so really choosing between the two is personal preference in that regard. 

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