Overview
- The tie reprises last May’s Cardiff final, which Bordeaux won 28-20 after a final‑whistle confrontation involving Henry Pollock.
- Dowson anticipates an “ugly” welcome for Pollock in France but says the back‑rower and the team will not be thrown off by boos.
- Bordeaux players mocked Pollock after the final, with Tevita Tatafu mimicking his “pulse‑check” celebration and a bus‑parade sign referencing him.
- Bookmakers make Bordeaux favourites on the back of seven wins in eight home matches this season at Stade Chaban‑Delmas.
- Northampton’s Tommy Freeman says the squad is discarding an underdog image and asserting a more physical, front‑foot identity.