La Rochelle survive Oyonnax comeback to seal bonus point win

The loss at La Rochelle leaves Oyonnax clutching at survival straws as they have yet to win in the Top 14 in 2024. 

IMPORTANT WIN: Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle suffered a major scare en route to a 40-21 bonus-point home win over bottom-of-the-table Oyonnax at Stade Marcel Deflandre. Pic: XAVIER LEOTY / AFP)

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle suffered a major scare en route to a 40-21 bonus-point home win over bottom-of-the-table Oyonnax at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

A week before their long-distance Champions Cup round-of-16 match against Stormers in Cape Town and a week after their soul-destroying loss at Bayonne, O’Gara’s side needed a confidence-boosting performance against last season’s promoted ProD2 champions, who are 12 points adrift of 13th-placed Montpellier.