"We're just a little team from a small town" - Fin Smith is proud of Northampton's efforts to hang with European giants

Whilst Smith was understandably dejected to see his side fall at the final hurdle, he expressed a great deal of pride in what the Saints had accomplished on the European club stage this season. With a population of under 250,000 people, the Saints continue to put their small town of Northampton on the map. Smith recalled how his side has outdone themselves this season, with an underdog story that saw them hang with some of European rugby's heavyweight titans.

"We're proud of that. We're just a little team from a small town in England, with a bunch of mates playing together. Bordeaux are a giant of European rugby, with some absolute rock stars on their team and some unbelievable firepower.

"So, to have gone toe to toe with them for 80 minutes, or the large part of that, particularly with some of the adversity we had to face out there with injuries and yellow cards and stuff, I'm sure once this is all sunk in, we'll look back with a proudness of what we've done."

To alter a trending phrase from Tottenham Hotspur football manager Ange Postecoglou, Northampton look like a team that will win a trophy in their third year of European pursuits. The Saints currently sit at eighth in the Premiership after a turbulent season, yet with enough distance between them and ninth placed Exeter Chiefs, Northampton will scrape into the Champions Cup for the 2025/26 season.

The next campaign of European club rugby could write a poetic end to the Saints trilogy, with a Champions Cup title some three years in the making. Last season, the Saints were ousted in the semi-finals by Leinster, before Northampton eliminated the Dubliners at the same stage of the tournament this time around to reach the final.

If the East Midlands brothers-in-arms keep on at this trajectory and go a step better next season, then Phil Dowson's men could well bring the Champions Cup trophy back to Franklin's Gardens, after the final in Bilbao's iconic Estadio de San Mames.

"I suppose. If you compare that to our run in the Premiership, we went from losing in a couple of semi finals in a row and then ended up going the distance. So, we've lost in the (Champions Cup) semi, lost in the final, and yeah, fingers crossed. We'll learn from that, and next year, or whenever that might be, we can get it over the line."

There's no denying that Northampton's script for the Champions Cup Final was promptly ripped up, as the Saints suffered two injuries to their outside back flyers in the first five minutes. James Ramm and George Furbank were withdrawn before their final really got started, which threw a spanner into the works for the men in green, gold and black.

"It's frustrating." Smith said "I think the overriding feeling is just 'Oh, what if that hadn't happened?' (If) We had everyone fit for the whole game, but that's just the way it is. Injuries happen in rugby, and you've got to just deal with what you face."

Whilst Fin Smith had a rapidly changing back-line to deal with, he also had to conceal the threat which Matthieu Jalibert brought to the match. The French maestro commanded Bordeaux's attacking line with a dangerous first step, and a tricky boot that asked repeated questions of Northampton's recently repaired back-three.

"He was great, I thought he played really well. He pulled some real rabbits out of hats. Behind that massive monster pack, I thought he created some gold for them, to be fair. So, it was cool to play against him and fair play, I thought he was brilliant."

Whilst the Champions Cup Final defeat was a gut-punch for all those who follow the East Midlands side, Smith emphasised the importance of sticking together at these low points. The England and British & Irish Lions halfback expressed how his teammates stayed close after the final, in what showcased the brotherhood of the team.

"I think the main thing is we stay pretty close as a team tonight. It's easy to splinter after results like that. When everyone's feeling so down, I need to dust myself off. Just try and switch off from that result. Obviously incredibly disappointed with team performance, and probably felt like I could have done a bit more out there. But once you park that, it's all about just trying to get stuck into the next thing. I've got a really exciting summer ahead, so I'll try and enjoy that as much as possible."