Bristol reach first European final with extra-time victory over Bordeaux-Begles

Bristol Bears 37 Bordeaux-Begles 20 (AET)

Bristol Bears scored two tries in extra-time to reach their first European final and stay on course for the club’s first major silverware since 1983. Despite Bordeaux-Begles battling back to level the scores at the end of the second half, they were forced to play with 14 men in extra-time after running out of replacements and losing No 8 Marco Tauleigne to injury.

Piers O’Conor struck within 50 seconds of the start of the extra period with a weaving run for a try that Callum Sheedy converted and then Max Malins ran in his second of the match. That was also converted and a final Sheedy penalty made it game set and match to the home side, who will now meet either Toulon or Leicester Tigers in next weekend’s final.

Had skipper Steve Luatua not crossed on the overlap for a much-needed home try, which Sheedy converted on the stroke of half-time, it could have gone down as the perfect first-half performance away from home for Bordeaux-Begles. Matthieu Jalibert ran the show from the start and scored a solo try after only 11 minutes to grab the lead. His half-back partner Maxime Lucu converted off the touchline. Jalibert then added two penalties to stretch the lead even further.

But Sheedy kicked Bristol down to the 22 and they moved the line-out from right to left and back again. Semi Radradra galloped around one man to create the space for his captain to run free to the line.

The second half did not start as well as the first had ended as Bristol found themselves down to 14 men when Radradra saw yellow for a swinging arm tackle. Then Sheedy missed with a regulation 30-metre penalty. But just as it looked as though it might not be Bristol’s night, a moment of magic from Randall as he grub-kicked through from a ruck on the 22 to give Malins to chance to run onto it and gather the bouncing ball and cross at the posts. Sheedy’s conversion gained the lead.

Radradra was back, the momentum had shifted and Sheedy’s boot punished two errors by a now tiring French side with penalties that extended the lead to seven points. But Bordeaux obviously saved something for a grandstand finish. A driving line-out was turned into a great try for hooker Joseph Dweba which Ben Botica converted to level the scores with 13 minutes to play.