La Rochelle move back into top six with victory over Toulon

Victory came at a price for La Rochelle. Ultan Dillane and Paul Boudehent both limped off in the opening period

a Rochelle’s Levani Botia. Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/James Crombie

Levani Botia marked his 200th appearance with a decisive try on the stroke of halftime as Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle climbed back into the Top 14’s top six with a 27-17 win over Toulon that was more dominant than the scoreline suggests.

With the visitors reduced to 14 after France prop Jean-Baptiste Gros was yellow carded following one infringement too many, Botia forced his way over from short-range to give the home side a crucial advantage going into the break in front of the 90th full-house in a row at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

But victory came at a price. Ultan Dillane and Paul Boudehent both limped off in the opening period, joining key players Pierre Bourgarit, Reda Wardi, Brice Dulin, Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Ihaia West in the infirmary.

Toulon’s Mathieu Smaili had silenced the crowd early, as the second-best attack in the Top 14 sliced open the best defence in the third minute, to give the visitors a surprise lead. The centre, too, had to leave the pitch early – ordered off by the match doctor with a brain injury in the seventh minute.

The visitors’ lead lasted quarter-of-an-hour, wiped out when the hosts’ twinkle-toed France tighthead Uini Atonio, twirled under the posts, fed by a pass from a close-range ruck from Botia.

The impetus was with La Rochelle. Teddy Thomas had a 50m cruise-in disallowed for a knock-on, and Boudehent was injured storming to within a few metres of Toulon’s line before Botia scored. Early in the second half, replacement Judicael Cancoriet knocked on a metre out.

The hosts should have been further ahead. Juita Wainiqolo’s interception try silenced the crowd again, and brought Toulon to within three points. But it was a rare raid into La Rochelle territory. Normal service was quickly restored, with the visitors’ defence repeatedly tested to its limits.

Botia thought he had a second 11 minutes from time, only for it to be chalked off because of a foul by Jonathan Danty.

Another try was inevitable. The only surprise was that it took La Rochelle until the 80th minute to score it, Oscar Jegou’s drive to the line eventually getting the nod following a TMO referral.