Alex Mitchell confident English clubs can stop France's Champions Cup dominance
French teams continued their stranglehold on the competition, with Bordeaux-Begles' 28-20 victory over Northampton in Cardiff making it five successive years that a Top 14 side has won it.
Across the past 10 seasons, France have provided twice as many finalists as any other country, while Saracens and Exeter are the only English clubs to win the tournament since 2007.
'I think a lot of (Premiership) clubs can take a lot of confidence from it,' Northampton and England scrum-half Mitchell said.
'This competition has been tough for English clubs in the last few years in terms of budgets and what-not. It has been a struggle.
'But I think we've shown that, regardless of that, if you front-up playing against these best teams, these quality outfits, you can do a job.
'We showed that. We got to the final and we nearly won. It's tough to take, but we can take a lot of credit from it.
'We have got a decent side and a lot of confidence in ourselves. That is what happened against Leinster (in the semi-finals) – we genuinely backed ourselves and had confidence that we could get a result, which we did.
'Regardless of all that (budgets and squad size), you need good coaching, which we've got, and the boys fronted-up.
'If we (English sides) do that and we are competitive about wanting to win, we can do good things.'
Not our time.
So proud of our team; the fight, the spirit, the journey 😇
Felicitations, UBB. pic.twitter.com/dkuBvxY5hx
— Northampton Saints 😇 (@SaintsRugby) May 24, 2025
Despite losing backs George Furbank and James Ramm to injuries inside the first five minutes, Saints rallied and pushed this season's dominant Champions Cup team to the limit.
They were level 20-20 at the interval in front of a 70,000 crowd, which was the largest Champions Cup final attendance for 13 years, before Bordeaux closed things out during a tense second period.
Mitchell's Saints and England half-back partner Fin Smith added: 'We are just a little team from a small town in England with a bunch of mates playing together.
'Bordeaux are a giant of European rugby with some absolute rock stars in their team and some unbelievable firepower.
'So, to have gone toe-to-toe with them for 80 minutes – or a large part of that – particularly with some of the adversity we had to face with injuries and yellow cards, is something we can look back on with pride.
'The main thing is to stay together as a group, because it is easy to splinter when you have had a knock like this. I need to dust myself off and try to switch off from that result.
'Ultimately, until you play in another big final and get the result you want, it is always going to sting and sit there in the back of your mind. That is just the way it is.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leader Live
18 minutes ago
- Leader Live
Tottenham sack Ange Postecoglou weeks after Europa League success
Postecoglou delivered on his promise of 'always' winning in his second season thanks to the 1-0 victory over Manchester United in Bilbao on May 21. It etched head coach Postecoglou's name into the history books as only the third Spurs boss to taste European success and the first in 17 years to lift silverware – provoking an outpouring of affection from a previously split fanbase. Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the Club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties. — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025 While Postecoglou divided opinion across two years in England and attracted criticism during a torrid 17th-placed Premier League campaign, his San Mames triumph appeared enough to earn him year three. Postecoglou even delivered a mic-drop moment during a euphoric open-top bus parade in front of an estimated 220,000 people when he declared 'season three is better than season two', but chairman Daniel Levy had other ideas and has dismissed the man to deliver him a much-craved trophy. 'Following a review of performances and after significant reflection, the club can announce that Ange Postecoglou has been relieved of his duties,' a club statement read. 'We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. 'However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. 'It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. A post shared by UEFA Europa League (@europaleague) 'This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision.' Postecoglou released a statement via his agency CAA Base, saying: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur, my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. 'Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget.' Brentford boss Thomas Frank has been installed as the bookmakers' favourite to replace Postecoglou, who departs following a rollercoaster ride in his first Premier League role. A run of eight wins from his first 10 league fixtures – despite the high-profile departure of Harry Kane – propelled Spurs to the summit but a sign of things to come was a thrilling loss to Chelsea in November, 2023 where several injuries occurred. Fifth place in Postecoglou's debut campaign still represented an impressive finish but cracks started to emerge during a 2-0 loss at home to Manchester City where some Tottenham fans were conflicted given a positive result would have put rivals Arsenal in the driving seat for the title. A slow start to the 2024-25 campaign was followed by Postecoglou's second season trophy claim and a strong run of form as Spurs emphatically defeated Manchester United, Aston Villa and Manchester City. Guglielmo Vicario's fractured ankle in a 4-0 victory at the Etihad Stadium was quickly followed by serious setbacks for Cristian Romero and Micky van de Ven and Tottenham lost eight of their 11 league fixtures in a jam-packed December and January. The Carabao Cup provided solace until a 4-0 loss at Liverpool in the last-four, which meant it was Europa League or bust for Postecoglou. A last-16 tie with AZ Alkmaar was navigated and, while Postecoglou aimed a cupped ear celebration at his own fans away to Chelsea in April, he managed to get a sinking ship back on track to knock out Eintracht Frankfurt before Bodo/Glimt were thrashed in the semi-finals after supporters' responded positively to the Australian's call-to-arms. It was then all eyes on San Mames, where Postecoglou's bold second season declaration came to fruition. Brennan Johnson's first-half goal proved the difference as Spurs clinched a narrative-busting 1-0 win but euphoric celebrations in Spain, at an open-top bus parade and during a carnival final-day atmosphere were played out against a backdrop of uncertainty over the future of Postecoglou. Even though Postecoglou expressed his desire to take Tottenham to the 'next level' and received public backing from various players, chairman Levy has dismissed the Greek-born coach.
Glasgow Times
18 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Ange Postecoglou proud of bringing ‘glory' back to Tottenham
Postecoglou masterminded the club's first trophy in 17 years when he guided Spurs to Europa League glory with a 1-0 win over Manchester United on May 21. The long-awaited silverware came amid heightened speculation over his future, following a 17th-placed Premier League finish which represents Tottenham's worst top-flight position since they were relegated in 1977. We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the Club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy. Thank you Ange 🤍 — Tottenham Hotspur (@SpursOfficial) June 6, 2025 The outpouring of affection that followed from fans flipped the narrative around Postecoglou's future, with the Australian serenaded on multiple occasions at a subsequent trophy parade in front of an estimated 220,000 supporters. Further chants in support of Postecoglou came in a final-day 4-1 loss to Brighton before several Spurs players backed him to stay, but Daniel Levy has dismissed the head coach who earned him much-craved silverware. Postecoglou, via a statement from his agency CAA Base, said: 'When I reflect on my time as manager of Tottenham Hotspur my overriding emotion is one of pride. 'The opportunity to lead one of England's historic football clubs and bring back the glory it deserves will live with me for a lifetime. 'Sharing that experience with all those who truly love this club and seeing the impact it had on them is something I will never forget. 'That night in Bilbao was the culmination of two years of hard work, dedication and unwavering belief in a dream. There were many challenges to overcome and plenty of noise that comes with trying to accomplish what many said was not possible. 'We have also laid foundations that mean this club should not have to wait 17 more years for their next success. I have enormous faith in this group of players and know there is much more potential and growth in them. 'I sincerely want to thank those who are the lifeblood of the club, the supporters. I know there were some difficult times but I always felt that they wanted me to succeed and that gave me all the motivation I needed to push on. 'It's important to acknowledge the hard working people at Spurs who gave me encouragement on a daily basis. 'And finally, I want to thank those who were with me every day for the last two years. A fantastic group of young men who are now legends of this football club and the brilliant coaches who never once doubted we could do something special. 'We are forever connected. Audere est Facere. Ange.'
Daily Mirror
24 minutes ago
- Daily Mirror
Big price Tottenham have paid to sack Ange Postecoglou as decision finally made
Tottenham Hotspur and Ange Postecoglou have finally parted ways, despite the club's Europa League success, as the club's dire Premier League performance ultimately proves costly In the end, Tottenham Hotspur emperor Daniel Levy and the Spurs hierarchy decided it wasn't enough. Ange Postecoglou, despite winning the Europa League and earning Champions League football, had to go. Confirmation came on Friday afternoon, after months of speculation, that the ex-Celtic manager had been sacked. Ironically, the man who broke the club's 17-year wait for a trophy was binned on the two-year anniversary of his appointment. A club statement declared: "We are extremely grateful to Ange for his commitment and contribution during his two years at the club. Ange will always be remembered as only the third manager in our history to deliver a European trophy, alongside legendary figures Bill Nicholson and Keith Burkinshaw. "However, the board has unanimously concluded that it is in the best interests of the club for a change to take place. Following a positive start in the 2023/24 Premier League (PL) season, we recorded 78 points from the last 66 PL games. "This culminated in our worst-ever PL finish last season. At times there were extenuating circumstances - injuries and then a decision to prioritise our European campaign. Whilst winning the Europa League this season ranks as one of the club's greatest moments, we cannot base our decision on emotions aligned to this triumph. "It is crucial that we are able to compete on multiple fronts and believe a change of approach will give us the strongest chance for the coming season and beyond. This has been one of the toughest decisions we have had to make and is not a decision that we have taken lightly, nor one we have rushed to conclude. "We have made what we believe is the right decision to give us the best chance of success going forward, not the easy decision." In a week where both coach Ryan Mason and executive director Donna-Maria Cullen left the club and Levy was quoted when both exits were announced, it was startling that there were no words from the chairman. The decision to part ways with Postecoglou will cost the club £4million in compensation. That is on top of the £2m bonus he has earned for winning the Europa League. A replacement may also be expensive, particularly if they pursue Brentford chief Thomas Frank, who is high in their thinking. All in, it was a decision Spurs decided they had to make. It is also a costly one. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
