La Rochelle clinch all-French final as Leinster's Champions Cup dream evaporates

La Rochelle players celebrate after team-mate Grégory Alldritt scored a try. Picture: Julien Poupart/Sportsfile

La Rochelle 32 Leinster 23

La Rochelle’s European fairytale continued on Sunday as Ronan O’Gara and Jono Gibbes’ side secured the club’s first Heineken Champions Cup appearance with a brilliant win over Leinster at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

The French Top 14 title-contenders are chasing a double now as they came from 7-0 and a man down after eight minutes to turn the tables on the four-time champions.

Their reward is an all-French final at Twickenham on May 22 against Toulouse, another side with four European crowns, who reached their first final since 2010 on Saturday by defeating Bordeaux-Begles.

Raymond Rhule of La Rochelle. Picture: Julien Poupart/Sportsfile

Leinster will be kicking themselves, though, contributing to their own downfall on the Atlantic coast with a collapse in discipline as they wilted in the sunshine and under the pressure exerted by a hugely physical La Rochelle pack and a powerful backline implementing head coach O’Gara’s Keep Ball Alive policy to perfection.

Leinster’s quality was never in doubt, Cullen enjoying the luxury of fielding an all-Irish Test starting XV but with just one semi-final victory in France in four attempts before this first-time meeting with La Rochelle, this was a challenge not to be underestimated, particularly without injured captain Johnny Sexton.

Ross Byrne was handed the fly-half duties and despite missing his first attempt at goal, a second-minute penalty, he was accurate six minutes later as Leinster’s strong start with pressure that led to four penalties from La Rochelle in the first six minutes, saw flanker Wian Liebenberg sin-binned for the concession of a fifth. From the resulting penalty Ronan Kelleher tapped and drove to the line, from where his front-row team-mate Tadhg Furlong powered over for the opening try.

Byrne added the extras and the rest of the first half saw him trade kicks with La Rochelle’s out-half Ihiah West, the New Zealander responding with a penalty and drop goal on 15 and 18 minutes as the French side won the 10-minute period they were short-handed 6-0.

Rónan Kelleher of Leinster is tackled by Reda Wardi of La Rochelle. Picture: Julien Poupart/Sportsfile

It was nip and tuck and for the second quarter, back-to-back penalties from Byrne were matched by the same from West as La Rochelle reached half-time on the front foot, just a point in arrears with Leinster leading 13-12.

It was a lead that did not last long, the visitors’ penalty count rising rapidly on either side of the interval and allowing West to kick his side in front for the first time on 46 minutes. Byrne responded in kind but Leinster’s failing discipline continued and La Rochelle went 18-16 ahead as James Lowe went to the bind for cynical ruck play. West had another chance following a high tackle but his long-range kick from the halfway line struck an upright and Leinster were momentarily off the hook.

Luke McGrath of Leinster in action. Picture: Julien Poupart/Sportsfile

Leinster’s 14 men remained on the back foot and they had Josh van der Flier to thank when scrum-half Tawera Kerr Barlow dove for the line, the All Black by the Irish flanker’s sharp thinking and physical presence. The respite did not last long, from the five-metre scrum that followed, Victor Vito sprang from the base to the line and his back-row partner Gregory Alldritt was driven over with the heft of Will Skelton, West’s conversion stretching the lead to 25-16. 

Skelton sealed the deal with a try of his own 10 minutes later, West converting and though Byrne hit back with a try and conversion on 78 minutes, time ran out on Leinster’s dream of their own PRO14 and European double.

LA ROCHELLE: B Dulin; D Leyds, G Doumayrou, L Botia (P Aguillon, 48), R Rhule; I West (J Plisson, 75), T Kerr-Barlow (A Retiere, 75); R Wardi (D Priso, 52), P Bourgarit (F Bosch, 70), U Atonio (A Joly, 67); R Sazy - captain, W Skelton; G Alldritt, W Liebenberg (V Vito, 61) V Vito (K Gourdon, 52 - blood).

Yellow card: Liebenberg 8-18.

Replacement not used: T Lavault.

LEINSTER: H Keenan; J Larmour (R O’Loughlin, 75), G Ringrose, R Henshaw, J Lowe; R Byrne, L McGrath - captain; C Healy (E Byrne, 56), R Kelleher, T Furlong (A Porter, 56); D Toner (S Fardy, 72), J Ryan; R Ruddock (R Baird, 28), J van der Flier, J Conan.

Yellow card: Lowe 55-65.

Replacements not used: J Tracy, R Osborne, C Frawley.

Referee: Matthew Carley (England).