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Record-breaker Penaud fires Bordeaux-Begles into Champions Cup semis

football12 April 2025 19:00| © AFP
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Bordeaux-Begles winger Damian Penaud scored a record 12th try of the Champions Cup season as the French club beat Munster 47-29 on Saturday to reach the semifinals as Northampton hammered Castres 51-16.

Penaud dived over just after five minutes in front of a sold-out Stade Chaban Delmas crowd as the hosts set-up an all-French last-four tie at home against either Toulon or Toulouse, who meet on Sunday.

The 28-year-old was one of six try scorers for the hosts as the France speedster overtook ex-England winger Chris Ashton's tally of 11 in 2013-2014 with Saracens.

Munster centre Alex Nankivell crossed and winger Andrew Smith did so twice with the gap between the sides just 11 points with seven minutes left.

Two-time winners Munster were also awarded a penalty try but were unable to beat a second French side in the space of seven days after dramatically edging La Rochelle in the last 16 last weekend.

"The score was a bit flattering considering the second half," Bordeaux-Begles flyhalf Matthieu Jalibert told BeIN Sports.

"Our strength is starting a game, our weakness is finishing them.

"We have to be more consistent for 80 minutes," he added.

Bordeaux-Begles controlled the first half in front of 34 000 fans and raced to a 29-10 lead at the break but New Zealander Nankivell gave Munster hope of a first semi spot since 2019 with his effort just before the interval.

The mood of the 2 500 or so travelling Irish fans improved even further with half an hour to play as Bordeaux-Begles lock Cyril Cazeaux was yellow carded and Smith cut the score to 29-15.

Dreams of an unlikely comeback were dashed however in the final 27 minutes with hooker Maxime Lamothe bundling over and Jalibert kicking two penalties as the home side booked just their second ever Champions Cup semifinal berth.

The penalty try and Smith's second effort with eight minutes to go ended up serving as consolation for the 2006 and 2008 champions before Penaud's fellow winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey sprinted in for a try in almost the final play of the game.

SAINTS MARCH ON

In the evening game, Northampton booked a tough last four trip to Leinster as promising England back-row Henry Pollock scored twice against Castres, appearing in a first Champions Cup quarterfinal since 2002.

Saints winger Tommy Freeman continued his sizzling form, crossing for an eighth straight game for club and country.

Young scrumhalf Jeremy Fernandez scored all of the French club's points, a week after touching down the crucial try in the last 16.

Leinster crushed Glasgow 52-0 on Friday, to underline their title credentials.

The four-time winners also kept Harlequins to zero points in the previous round, in the only two examples in 258 Champions Cup knock-out games of a team failing to score.

Leinster and Northampton met last season when the Irish province edged the 2000 winners 20-17.

The semifinals will be played over the weekend of 2-4 May. 

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