Gloucester and competition holders Bordeaux Begles opened their 2026-27 Champions Cup campaign with a high-scoring 36-36 draw at Kingsholm on Friday. For Bordeaux, the result prevented a first defeat in the tournament since their quarter-final exit against Harlequins in April 2024 as they aim for a third consecutive title. According to we, We wanted to attack Bordeaux, put our game on them and I can only be positive about the way the boys did that. Right now, it’s a funny feeling because we all know in the changing room that we could have won that game. It’s a funny feeling right now because there were opportunities to win the game and we probably gave them a couple of easy outs in the first half when we really had them under pressure.
Before the match, players and officials observed a moment of silence in tribute to Lions lock Hyron Andrews, who died on Friday at age 31. The South African player had passed away at the team’s hotel in La Rochelle, where the Lions are scheduled to play on Saturday. Further commemorative tributes are expected throughout the opening round of the competition.
The match saw both sides register five tries each in a back-and-forth contest. Bordeaux opened the scoring through scrum-half Martin Page-Relo inside the first five minutes, but Gloucester responded as Arthur Clark and Max Llewellyn crossed the line. Bordeaux’s Sipili Falatea leveled the score following a powerful carry from Tom Willis, while Bordeaux captain Maxime Lucu added a long-range penalty to edge the visitors ahead.
Gloucester regained momentum before halftime with a try from George Barton, who also added a penalty and three conversions to give his side a 24-17 lead at the break. In the second half, France winger Louis Bielle-Biarrey became a key figure, setting up Pablo Uberti for a score before touching down for his own try to restore the lead for the French side. Gloucester substitute Will Trenholm then surged ahead with two quickfire tries, but Bielle-Biarrey responded with his second of the match to level the scoring at 36-36. Neither team could find a winner in the closing minutes, with Gloucester opting for touch over a penalty kick and Bordeaux failing to capitalize on a late scrum. The French side trailed 24-17 at the interval and then 36-29 when Gloucester replacement Will Trenholm crossed twice midway through the second half for the early-season Prem leaders. Who had been kept quiet in the first 40 minutes, sent fellow winger Pablo Uberti over in the corner before grabbing his first try to restore Bordeaux’s lead in a see-saw Pool Three encounter, bielle-Biarrey. While Bordeaux could not capitalise on a scrum in Gloucester territory late on, gloucester elected to kick a penalty to touch rather than go for the posts and lost possession.
Following the match, Gloucester head coach George Skivington praised his team’s character. He expressed pride in the way his players attacked and challenged the holders, though he admitted that the squad felt they had missed an opportunity to secure a victory. He noted that the intensity of the match served as a learning experience regarding the small margins that decide games at this level. Gloucester showed ‘massive character’ – reaction. Maybe that’s just a bit of learning for us up at that intensity and the small margins that make a big difference. To go behind and come back to lead again shows massive character and shows what we want to stand for this year, to be leading for large chunks of the game.
Match Statistics
- Gloucester Tries: Clark, Llewellyn, Barton, Trenholm (2)
- Gloucester Conversions/Penalties: Barton (4 cons, 4 pens)
- Bordeaux Begles Tries: Page-Relo, Falatea, Uberti, Bielle-Biarrey (2)
- Bordeaux Begles Conversions/Penalties: Lucu (4 cons, 4 pens)
Match Officials
- Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi (Italy)
- Assistant Referees: Franco Rosella (Italy) and Dario Merli (Italy)
- TMO: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Team Lineups
- Gloucester: Barton; Joseph, Llewellyn, S Atkinson, Loader; C Atkinson, Robson; Bleuler, Lake (capt), C Knight, Kleyn, Clark, Gwynne, Morgan, Clement. Replacements: Blake, Rapava Ruskin, Salt, Thomas, Trenholm, Ludlow, Englefield, W Knight.
- Bordeaux Begles: Rayasi; Uberti, Depoortere, Moefana, Bielle-Biarrey; Lucu (capt), Page-Relo; Poirot, Lamothe, Falatea, Woki, Tameifuna, Gazzotti, Matiu, Willis. Replacements: Sa, Perchaud, Pkhakadze, Zapedowski, Bochaton, Ibsaiene, Mousques, Buros.
