Bordeaux Begles v Ulster LIVE updates from Champions Cup last-16 clash (2025)

Bordeaux Begles take on Ulster this afternoon in the last-16 of the Investec Champions Cup.

Kick-off for today's game is slated for 12.30pm, with coverage being shown live on Premier Sports 1.

Alternatively, you can stream it in our live blog below.

With Leinster and Munster's passage to the last-8 already secured following big wins on Saturday, and with Connacht getting the job done in the Challenge Cup, Ulster will be hoping to make it a clean sweep for the Irish this afternoon.

They face a Bordeaux side that have crushed all before them in this season's Champions Cup, including Ulster, who they beat by 21 points during the pool phase back in December.

Here's how the teams line-up:

Bordeaux

R Buros; D Penaud, Y Moefana, B Tapuai, P Uberti; J Carbery, M Lucu (capt; J Poirot, M Lamothe, B Tameifuna; C Cazeaux, A Coleman; M Diaby, G Petti, P Samu.

Replacements: R Latterrade, M Perchaud, S Falatea, P Bochaton, B Vergnes-Taillefer, Y Lesgourgues, R Janse van Rensburg, M Jalibert.

Ulster

M Lowry; Z Ward, J Hume, S McCloskey, J Stockdale; J Murphy, J Cooney; A Warwick, R Herring, T O’Toole; A O’Connor (capt), K Treadwell; J McNabney, N Timoney, D McCann.

Replacements: T Stewart, C Reid, S Wilson, M Dalton, M Rea, N Doak, A Morgan, S Moore.

Key Events

  • FT: Bordeaux Begles 43-31 Ulster

  • Try! Bordeaux 43-31 Ulster

  • Try! Bordeaux 43-24 Ulster

  • Try! Bordeaux 36-24 Ulster

  • Try! Bordeaux 36-19 Ulster

Oisin Doherty

Defeat for Ulster

KEY EVENT

FT: Bordeaux Begles 43-31 Ulster

The French side win by 12.

Oisin Doherty

No try!

Knock-on given, however, Ulster do have a penalty for a high tackle.

Oisin Doherty

Drama!

Doak in for a try after a brilliant Stockdale break, but we are going back to take a look at a potential knock-on earlier in the play.

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 43-31 Ulster

Ward pounces on a loose ball, fends off Jalibert and touches down. Excellent score from a man who has really impressed today. Doak nails the kick.

'76

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 43-24 Ulster

And just like that, Bordeaux surely wrap things up. Lucu takes a tap and Ulster are powerless to stop the French side.

'71

Oisin Doherty

Bordeaux 36-24 Ulster

Scrum Bordeaux on the 10-metre line. Ulster the team looking far more dangerous now.

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 36-24 Ulster

Ward gets in this time! McCloskey with a great one out the back and Ward gets over the line.

Oisin Doherty

Bordeaux 36-19 Ulster

Unbelievable stuff from Ulster. A great steal and kick from McCloskey and Ward runs onto the loose ball in the end-zone and touches down. However, we go back for knock-on against Doak earlier in the build up.

'61

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 36-19 Ulster

Nick Timoney gets in the corner under tremendous pressure. Once again Ulster showing their resolve. Kick is missed from the wing.

'55

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 36-14 Ulster

Another try for the hosts. If they're not flying up the wings they're bashing you up front. Jalibert misses the kick.

'51

KEY EVENT

Penalty! Bordeaux 31-14 Ulster

Lucu kicks a simple penalty and adds three to the lead.

'47

Oisin Doherty

At half-time, Stephen Ferris spoke about what Ulster need to do in this half

Oisin Doherty

Away we go for the second-half

Can Ulster get back into this one again?

Oisin Doherty

A look at Penaud's record-equalling try

KEY EVENT

Half-time: Bordeaux 28-14 Ulster

Carbery makes the kick and Ulster trail by 14. Such a shame after an excellent fight-back to give away that late, late first-half try.

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 28-14 Ulster

Right on half-time, that is a sickener. Poor clearance kick goes nowhere. Carbery carries it back, dances past a couple and Begles get on the front foot with a couple of magical offloads. Lucu shows his patience and pops it wide to Buros for try number four.

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 21-14 Ulster

Nick Timoney makes a great little break to get Ulster moving in Bordeaux's 22. Luke Pearce initially says the ball is held up short, but McCann manages to nudge it forward and touch the whitewash to get the score. Cooney with a nice conversion from wide left.

'38

Oisin Doherty

Bordeaux 21-7 Ulster

That was vintage Stockdale there, he burned past Penaud and not too many people have the pace to do that.

'31

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 21-7 Ulster

Tom O'Toole squeezes over from a yard. Brilliant try, excellent breakaway from a scrum deep inside their own half. Stockdale gets to the edge and gains plenty of yards. A couple of quick passes later and after a penalty tap-and-go, O'Toole gets over the line. Cooney kicks a nice conversion.

'30

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 21-0 Ulster

How on earth did that happen? Ulster have a line-out deep in Begles territory and it all goes horribly wrong. The French side slice through a weak Ulster recovery attempt before Coleman smashes over from close range. Carbery with another lovely kick.

'22

Oisin Doherty

Penaud scores a beauty

Bordeaux Begles v Ulster LIVE updates from Champions Cup last-16 clash (1)

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 14-0 Ulster

Ben Tameifuna gets over from close range. Such a hard team to stop, they tear you to shreds out wide before straight up bullying you with their power. Joey Carbery kicks a lovely conversion.

Oisin Doherty

Bordeaux 7-0 Ulster

It has been all hands to the pump so far for Ulster. Very little attacking threat and Begles look like scoring every single time they attack.

'13

KEY EVENT

Try! Bordeaux 7-0 Ulster

It's Damien Penaud with the try! He now has the joint-most tries in a single European season. A simple cut back out the corner from the right wing opens up the space and the Frenchman cruises home under the posts.

'7

Oisin Doherty

Away we go in Bordeaux

Let's see what Ulster can do.

Oisin Doherty

Kick-off just moments away

Can Ulster pull off the shock?

Oisin Doherty

You couldn't ask for better conditions for a game of rugby

Oisin Doherty

Almost set for action in the French sunshine

Oisin Doherty

Ulster relishing the challenge

"We see it as a real opportunity," assistant coach Jimmy Duffy insisted. "They’re second in the French league at the moment, a brilliant team with brilliant players in a cool part of the world. It’s Champions Cup, it’s knock-out, it’s exactly where every rugby player or every rugby coach would want to be.

“Putting yourself against the best opposition, that’s where we want to be, so for us we view it as an opportunity. We respect them massively. They’ve earned that and they’ve shown why here to see us off in 20 minutes at the end of the game. But you get that with quality opposition. We’re really looking forward to it, really excited."

Bordeaux Begles v Ulster LIVE updates from Champions Cup last-16 clash (2025)

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