| 2018 European Rugby Champions Cup Final | |
| Event: | 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup |
| Team1: | Leinster |
| Team1score: | 15 |
| Team2: | Racing 92 |
| Team2association: |  |
| Team2score: | 12 |
| Date: | 12 May 2018 |
| Stadium: | San Mamés |
| City: | Bilbao |
| Man Of The Match1a: | James Ryan (Leinster) |
| Referee: | Wayne Barnes (England) |
| Attendance: | 52,282[1] |
| Previous: | 2017 |
| Next: | 2019 |
The 2018 European Rugby Champions Cup Final was the final match in the 2017–18 European Rugby Champions Cup, and the twenty-third European club rugby final in general.
Irish club Leinster defeated French club Racing 92 in the final[2] played in Bilbao, Spain — the first time it was contested outside one of the Six Nations countries.[3] [4] [5]
Note: In all results below, the score of the finalist is given first (H: home; A: away).
| Leinster | Round | Racing 92 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opponent | Result | Pool stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montpellier | 24–17 (H) | Matchday 1 | Leicester Tigers | 22–18 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Glasgow Warriors | 34–18 (A) | Matchday 2 |  Munster | 7–14 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exeter Chiefs | 18–8 (A) | Matchday 3 | Castres | 13–16 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Exeter Chiefs | 22–17 (H) | Matchday 4 | Castres | 29–7 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Glasgow Warriors | 55–19 (H) | Matchday 5 | Munster | 34–30 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Montpellier | 23–14 (A) | Matchday 6 | Leicester Tigers | 23–20 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pool 3 winner
| Final standings | Pool 4 runner-up
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Opponent | Result | Knock-out stage | Opponent | Result | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Saracens | 30–19 (H) | Quarter-finals | Clermont Auvergne | 28–17 (A) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Scarlets | 38–16 (H) | Semi-finals | Munster | 27–22 (H) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The game was played in wet conditions, which made passing and attacking play difficult for both teams. Early in the game Racing fly-half Pat Lambie was forced off the field with a knee injury, replaced by French international Rémi Talès. Racing recovered from this set back to score the first points of the game with Teddy Iribaren kicking a penalty. Leinster responded on 16 minutes when Johnny Sexton opened their account, also from a penalty. Iribaren reestablished Racing's lead five minutes later and Sexton responded just before half time, to send the teams into the break level on six points apiece.[6]
The teams were both unchanged for the second half, and the penalty tit-for-tat continued. Sexton was the first to strike in the second half with a converted effort on 53 minutes, before Iribaren missed and the teams remained level at 9–9 coming into the final 10 minutes of play. Iribaren kicked his fourth penalty of the day to give Racing back their three-point lead, but Leinster responded quickly with a penalty from captain Isa Nacewa. Nacewa scored another penalty with two minutes left to play to give Leinster the lead for the first time in the match. Racing won the kick off and worked down the field, looking for a drop goal to level the match again and bring play to extra time. With clock over 80 minutes the opportunity fell to Talès, who pulled his effort wide to the left to give Leinster their fourth European title.[7]
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| Man of the Match: James Ryan Touch judges: |
