Latest news with #CurtisLangdon
BBC News
23-05-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Furbank starts in Northampton team for final
Investec Champions Cup final: Northampton Saints v Bordeaux-BeglesVenue: Principality Stadium, Cardiff Date: Saturday 24 May Kick-off 14:45 BSTCoverage: Live TV coverage on Welsh language channel S4C on iPlayer, live radio coverage on BBC Radio 5 Live and BBC Radio Northampton, with live text commentary on the BBC Sport website England's George Furbank returns to the Northampton team for only his second appearance since December as he starts at full-back in Saturday's Champions Cup final against Langdon is also in the starting XV after concerns that an injury picked up in last weekend's win over Saracens may rule the hooker Sleightholme is another to make a comeback on the biggest stage, with the wing named on the bench and set to make his first appearance since suffering an ankle injury on England duty in Coles is fit to take up a role as blindside flanker, while Henry Pollock plays at number eight with Ulster-bound South African Juarno Augustus ruled who was appointed captain after Lewis Ludlam's departure at the end of last season, has missed much of the campaign after breaking his arm in the away win over the Bulls at the end of last had metal plates inserted in his arm, the 28-year-old made an initial return in Saints' quarter-final victory over Castres in April, but suffered a setback in that match and it was feared his season might be contesting their first Champions Cup final, name an unchanged starting XV from the side that beat Toulouse in the last Lucu and Matthieu Jalibert, both France internationals, are the half-back partnership, while Damian Penaud and Louis Bielle-Biarrey are part of a dangerous London Irish lock Adam Coleman and Australia international Peter Samu feature in the pack. Northampton: Furbank; Freeman, Dingwall ©, Hutchinson, Ramm; Smith, Mitchell; Iyogun, Langdon, Davison, Mayanavanua, Lockett, Coles, Kemeny, PollockReplacements: Wright, Haffar, Millar Mills, Prowse, Scott-Young, James, Litchfield, SleightholmeBordeaux-Begles: Buros; Penaud, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Jalibert, Lucu; Poirot, Lamothe, Falatea, Coleman, Cazeaux, Diaby, Petti, SamuReplacements: Sa, Boniface, Tameifune, Bochaton, Vergnes-Taillefer, Gazzotti, Retiere, Janse van RensburgReferee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)Assistant referees: Andrew Brace (Ire) and Andrea Piardi (Ita)TMO: Marius Jonker (SA)
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
European Rugby Champions Cup final: when is it and how to watch it
Northampton Saints lock horns with Bordeaux-Bègles in the Champions Cup final this weekend. Here are all the details you need on the big match. When is the match? The Champions Cup final is on Saturday at 2.45pm BST. Venue The Principality Stadium in Cardiff. Saturday's match be the ground's sixth Champions Cup final, as many as Twickenham. The Challenge Cup final between Bath and Lyon is at the same venue on Friday night. In Bordeaux, 20,000 free tickets sold out within half an hour to watch the final on big screens in Place Des Quinconces, one of Europe's grandest public squares. TV details Fans in the UK can watch the final on Premier Sports or on S4C, whose is stream of the the match is available on its YouTube channel and on the BBC iPlayer. Team news Damian Penaud looks likely to make his return after an ankle injury had him limping off the pitch in the semi-final victory over Toulouse. Penaud has been crucial to Bordeaux's success in the competition, having scored 21 tries. Curtis Langdon and James Ramm both came off before half-time in Northampton's win against Saracens last weekend, casting doubt over their chances to play in the match. Alex Coles is also not expected to return despite having featured in the same game. Juarno Augustus suffered an injury in the build-up to the Saracens match, making his participation doubtful. Route to the final Northampton finished top of their pool after losing just one of their group matches. Following knockout victories over Clermont and Castres, they then defeated Leinster in spectacular fashion in the semi-final. After a first-half hat-trick from Tommy Freeman, steadfast defence kept Leinster at bay to push the Saints over the line 37-34 in a result few expected. Bordeaux went unbeaten in the pool stage and then defeated Ulster and Munster to reach the last four. In the semi-final, they brushed aside defending champions Toulouse 35-18. Bordeaux's forwards have been rampant so far, not least Louis Bielle-Biarrey, who stood out with two tries to shut down Toulouse's brief, first-half comeback. Champions Cup pedigree Of the two sides only Northampton have won the Champions Cup, beating Munster 9-8 in the 2000 final at Twickenham. Three penalty goals from Paul Grayson saw them over the line in a storm-affected match. They also reached the final in 2011, losing to Leinster. Bordeaux are entering unchartered territory but will be hoping to extend a run of four successive French victories in the final, with Toulouse and La Rochelle having won it twice apiece. Head to head The two sides have only ever met once, in 2020, with Bordeaux winning 16-12 in the first round of the Champions Cup. A late Santiago Cordero try sunk Northampton, who had been leading for much of the game thanks to four Dan Biggar penalties. The odds Northampton to win: 5/2 Bordeaux to win: 1/3 Prize money
The Guardian
20-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Northampton sweat on fitness of key players before Champions Cup final
Northampton are sweating on the fitness of a quartet of key players before the Champions Cup final against Bordeaux-Bègles in Cardiff on Saturday. The hooker Curtis Langdon, the lock Alex Coles and the full-back James Ramm are all battling to overcome injuries, while management are also waiting to discover if the club captain, George Furbank, can feature in the matchday 23. Saints, who are already without Ollie Sleightholme, George Hendy, Juarno Augustus and Burger Odendaal, will be particularly stretched at hooker and in the back three should Langdon, Ramm and Furbank all be ruled out. Langdon has a shoulder problem, Ramm damaged a shin against Saracens last Saturday while the similarly influential Coles has a knee injury. None of that trio could train on Tuesday. Furbank has barely played since breaking an arm against the Bulls in December and aggravated the injury against Castres in their quarter-final last month. The England full-back had a metal plate inserted in his forearm but has been experiencing discomfort since taking a heavy blow to the same arm when scoring a try in the Castres game. Northampton's director of rugby, Phil Dowson, revealed Furbank had played a 'limited' part in training but said a decision on his participation would be delayed until later in the week. 'We've been down this road before with Furbs so I'm reticent to say 'he's great' but he's feeling good and we'll make a decision after he's trained on Thursday,' said Dowson. In the absence of Sleightholme and Hendy, there will be an obvious temptation to rush Furbank back on to the bench if possible, with Tommy Freeman potentially set to start at full-back if Ramm does not recover in time. If the combative Langdon is also ruled out, Saints may have to name the erstwhile Ealing reserve hooker Henry Walker among their replacements as they seek to lift the club game's most prestigious trophy for the first time since 2000. Bordeaux, by contrast, are confident that their star winger Damian Penaud will be fit for the showpiece finale. The 28-year-old, who has scored 12 tries in the tournament this season, was a doubt after limping off in the semi-final win over Toulouse but his ankle injury has responded well to treatment, according to his head coach, Yannick Bru. Sign up to The Breakdown The latest rugby union news and analysis, plus all the week's action reviewed after newsletter promotion The French side's first appearance in a Champions Cup final is also to be viewed by a wider audience after a deal was struck between the UK rights holders Premier Sports and the tournament organisers which will result in the game being broadcast free-to-air on BBC iPlayer and the Welsh broadcaster S4C.
