Bordeaux-Begles' Lucu on verge of Basque 'dream' with Champions Cup final

Maxime Lucu joined Biarritz's academy in 2011 (ROMAIN PERROCHEAU) Scrum-half Maxime Lucu will lead out Bordeaux-Begles in the Champions Cup final against Leinster in Bilbao on Saturday and turn a dream into a reality. In 2018, Lucu, now 33, was in the stands at San Mames Stadium the last time the decider was held in the Basque city, as the Irish province edged French club Racing 92 to the title. He travelled two hours to Bilbao from the French part of the Basque Country, having grown up 140km away in the small village of Saint-Pee-sur-Nivelle.

"We spoke two weeks ago, before the semi-final against Bath and he said his dream was to play the final down there," Lucu's older brother, Ximun told AFP. "Leinster were there too that day, so it's another nod to that day. " Lucu's home village is nestled in the sheep-farming foothills of the Pyrenees, half an hour inland from the golden surfing paradise beaches of the Atlantic coast and the glamour of Biarritz.

Maxime started playing rugby in Saint-Pee, with a population of near 8,000 people, and in his same age group at Sanpere, as it is known in Basque, was another future France international - Toulon flanker Charles Ollivon. "It was pretty special to have two players like that from the same generation," added Ximun, who also played professionally for Biarritz. "I'm not sure what was going on but something magical did for sure.

" - Dupont back-up - Shaven-headed Maxime, who is jokingly compared to actor Jason Statham by some, moved to Biarritz's academy in 2011 before making his senior debut three years later in the second-tier for the fallen giants of French rugby. Maxime joined the club he supported as a child, where his idol Dimitri Yachvili won two French titles and suffered defeat in a pair of Champions Cup finals. "He was already technically well-rounded.