Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle into Top 14 final after win over Bordeaux

CONTEST: La Rochelle fullback Brice Dulin and Bordeaux scrum-half Maxime Lucu jump to grab the ball during the French Top 14 semi-final at Anoeta Reale Arena stadium in San-Sebastian. Pic: Gaizka Iroz/AFP via Getty Images

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle eased their way past a determined Bordeaux 24-13 in front of a 40,000-crowd in San Sebastian to set up a showpiece final against Toulouse that has long seemed inevitable.

Their performance in the second semi-final at Anoeta Stadium on a sweltering early June afternoon was, for long periods, more impressive than Toulouse’s had been the previous night at the same venue. It had to be. Bordeaux were better organised opponents than Racing 92 had been.

First-half tries from Dillyn Leyds, Pierre Bourgarit - in line, perhaps, for a World Cup recall - and Paul Boudehent, gave O’Gara’s side a commanding 21-3 first-half lead. But for a foot in touch, Leyds would have had two, and they troubled Bordeaux’s defence numerous times. It was a performance unnervingly reminiscent of their Champions Cup win in Dublin without the horror show of the first 10 minutes.

A penalty try and a yellow card early in the second period forced La Rochelle into a long defensive set at a point they had probably expected to pull out of sight.

But they rode the Bordeaux storm that followed without conceding any further points, and an Antoine Hastoy penalty gave them an 11-point cushion with 11 minutes left. It allowed them to keep their increasingly desperate opponents at arm’s length.

The previous evening, Toulouse had simply been far too good for a frantic and frenetic Racing 92. Their five-try 41-14 win was even more straightforward than the result suggests.

Racing were, by captain Gael Fickou’s own post-match admission, comprehensively outplayed all over the Anoeta Stadium. 

“We knew there was a gap, but not that big," he admitted. “What did we miss? Everything - the contact, the scrum, everything.” 

Toulouse had four converted tries - courtesy of Matthis Lebel, Emmanuel Meafou, Alexandre Roumat and Arthur Retiere - and two penalties on the board before Racing first troubled the scoreline, with less than 10 minutes on the clock.

Ironically, and perhaps typically, it was the score of the night - Henry Chavancy intercepting 5m from his own posts and releasing Fickou to race to the other line. Ibrahim Diallo added a second face-saver, but Toulouse had the final word as Francois Cros crossed with the clock crossing into the red. It was the biggest win in a Top 14 semi-final - and no less than Toulouse deserved.

“[Toulouse] weren't a notch above us, they were 10,” Fickou added. “Sometimes you're disappointed, but we are a long way from a title.

“The gap is enormous. It's annoying for [outgoing sporting director Laurent Travers], annoying for those who are leaving. Next season, a new staff comes in, and we've got to get our act together.”

Racing have reached the knockout phase every season since returning to the French top flight in 2009. They have reached the final just once, winning the Brennus in 2016 in front of a world-record crowd at Camp Nou, Barcelona. Stuart Lancaster’s mission, now he’s chosen to accept it: improve the success rate of the Top 14’s flatterers to deceive.

But, first, a repeat of the 2021 Top 14 final, with one crucial difference. Two years ago, Toulouse added the French title to their Champions Cup title - beating La Rochelle both times. This year, O’Gara’s side are the ones going for the double.