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.