How the French media reacted: La Rochelle become legends in Leinster's lair

IRISH INFLUENCE: La Rochelle Head Coach Ronan O'Gara, Quentin Lespiaucq (centre) and Ultan Dillane (right) celebrate with the trophy.

La Rochelle’s comeback win in Saturday’s Champions Cup final in Dublin generated liberal dollops of headline hyperbole in France.

L’Equipe’s Sunday splash read, “Two stars in their eyes”, while its lead story - kicking off seven pages of coverage before another sport, football, even got a look-in - ran under the headline “A moment for eternity”.

Journalist Yann Sternis took time out to remember the now two-time champions from France were promoted to the Top 14 nine years ago, and - until their win in Marseille last May - their empty trophy was bare.

On Saturday, he noted, they became members of an exclusive five-team club - joining Leicester, Leinster, Toulon and Saracens - in winning back-to-back Champions Cup titles.

TWO ON THE BOUNCE: The front page of L'Equipe.

Midi Olympique’s website headlined its final review “La Rochelle enter into legend”.

Vincent Bissonet's match report opened with: “In the lair of Leinster, the Maritime club has perhaps achieved the greatest feat in the history of continental rugby by overcoming the Dublin side at the end of an incredible, insane, unbreathable, magnificent game.

“To have a great game you need two great teams,” he went on. “Leinster and La Rochelle put on a truly great game for the 51,000 crowd.” His conclusion was as appropriately scattergun as the desperate end of the game. 

“The end of the match was irrational with three yellow cards, action in all directions, a huge Irish period of strength and the deliverance of the final whistle. The Rochelais could rejoice. They are champions and much more. They have entered into legend.” 

The front page of Sud Ouest - La Rochelle’s regional newspaper - on Sunday simply read, “Giants”, over a picture of Gregory Alldritt and the retiring Romain Sazy lifting the trophy.

The front page of Sud Ouest.

The headline on its match report was as straightforward: “The Rochelais were monumental”.

Benjamin Deudon wrote: “Stade Rochelais’ victory in Dublin – in the lair of a Leinster who had not lost there in this competition since September 2020 and a quarter-final against Saracens – marks the history of French sport.” 

Belatedly welcoming the arrival of South African teams’ arrival into this season’s competition, he went on: “The final was the best possible advertisement for this new version of the Champions Cup.” 

Meanwhile, a picture spread followed crowds watching the match at the Vieux Port in the French town. The place was destined to be filled again on Sunday afternoon, for the joyful return of the players to their hometown - hundreds had earlier gathered at the airport as the players returned with the trophy in the early hours of the morning.

JOYOUS SCENES: Pictures in Sud Ouest of La Rochelle fans celebrating the triumph at the town's port.

La Dépêche du Midi wondered if Leinster were suffering from an inferiority complex where La Rochelle are concerned. Under an article headlined “The bête-jaune-et-noire of Leinster”, journalist Matthieu Gherardi wrote: “A tailor-made run with the Aviva Stadium as their only playground since the round-of-16 after a flying group stage, confidence at its highest and above all a start of fire … the only thing left was to bend down and pick up the fifth crown promised for many weeks.

“Only, the idea that Leinster is starting to harbour an inferiority complex when it comes to La Rochelle is making its presence felt after Irish failures in the 2021 semi-final and last year's final.” The Toulouse-based paper acknowledged its five-star side has no idea how to beat Leinster, but that Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle - who struggle against Toulouse - have “found the right recipe”.

After La Rochelle had pulled the scores back to 23-14, Gherardi thought he picked up the early inklings of concern in the Irish camp. “One only had to look at the discomfited faces of the Leinster men, no longer in tune with their statements of the last few weeks, that had bordered on arrogance - there is a fine line between confidence and trust - to realise this,” he wrote.

He said the second half proved his hypothesis. “The ghost of Leinster, undisciplined and inaccurate, had replaced the machine that was so well oiled that it was thought to be unbeatable.” 

PRESIDENTIAL SALUTE: French President Emmanuel Macron congratulates La Rochelle on their victory.

Even Emmanuel Macron, a president in need of reflected glory, tweeted his congratulations to La Rochelle. “La Rochelle retains the European Rugby Championship. And how! Congratulations to the Maritimes for this landmark victory,” Monsieur le President wrote.

And there were words enough still to point a valedictory finger towards replacement prop Georges-Henri Colombe, who scored the crucial try eight minutes from time and was later carried off the Aviva pitch on a stretcher.

“A real sacrifice for the cause before which we can only bow very low here…”, Rugbyrama’s player ratings article noted on his 20-minute match-deciding performance. They weren’t the only ones - it was good to see him with his team-mates for the trophy ceremony. The most important thing now is that his brain injury is properly treated.