Bath travel to face Bordeaux in the Champions Cup semi‑final, hoping to turn a season of mixed results into a historic breakthrough. Bordeaux line‑up boasts internationals such as Matthieu Jalibert, Louis Bielle‑Biarrey, Damian Penaud and Yoram Moefana, a squad that has lifted the European crown five consecutive times. Bath counter with Finn Russell, Ollie Lawrence, Santiago Carreras and Thomas du Toit, fresh from a domestic treble.

Bath’s last Champions Cup triumph dates back to 1998, and the club has not reached a semi‑final since 2006. Coach Johann Van Graan stresses that every match must be treated as a fresh start, a mentality that helped the side secure the Premiership, Challenge and Rugby Cup last season. Ollie Lawrence says the squad wants to write its own history, not merely revive the 1990s dominance.

Bordeaux sit sixth in the Top 14, 17 points adrift of leaders Toulouse, a gap that underscores their league struggles despite European pedigree. Bath enters the tie with momentum from a trophy‑laden campaign, yet a win would end a 28‑year drought and cement a new era for a city that lives and breaths rugby. The semi‑final now decides which side writes history.