T14 Round-up: Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle win on tense final weekend of campaign

Tries in the opening 20 minutes from Dillyn Leyds and Tawera Kerr-Barlow – in his first outing since the Champions Cup quarter-final loss to Leinster in Dublin – gave the Rochelais a decisive advantage in front of another sell-out crowd.

Sat, 08 Jun, 2024 - 22:45

James Harrington

Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle head to Toulon next Saturday for the barrage round of the Top 14 post-season play-offs, after a 24-19 win over Racing 92 at Stade Marcel Deflandre on a high-tension final weekend of the campaign, when all seven matches kicked off at the same time.

And Jack Nowell’s third try in as many matches in the 70th minute put the match beyond doubt – with important implications for more than one other side in the table.

The winner of the qualifying match will face Toulouse in the semi-finals in Bordeaux on June 21.

Stuart Lancaster’s Racing 92, meanwhile, held on to the sixth and final play-off place by the skin of a losing bonus-point – and their head-to-head record this season against Castres – thanks to a 78th minute try from Maxime Bourdonne, converted by Tristan Tedder.

That point maintained a proud post-season run dating all the way back to 2010. They will play Bordeaux next Sunday, at Stade Chaban Delmas, for the right to take on Stade Francais at the Matmut Atlantique on Saturday, June 22.

Just three wins in 11 matches since February had marked a fairly catastrophic end to the season for Jeremy Davidson’s Castres – but they still had an outside chance of stealing a play-off place with a win at Bayonne.

'Maybe we'll go on a boat' - Leinster scrambling for South African semi-final

Dismal weather didn’t help – storms surrounded the Basque town, and heavy rain hammered Stade Jean Dauger – but, after a start as dismal as the conditions, with Pierre Popelin and Leone Nakarawa sin-binned in the first half, Castres found a way back from 17-6 down at halftime to win 28-17.

They had done their bit – and for quarter-of-an-hour held on to sixth place. But Bourdonne’s late try at Marcel Deflandre ripped it back out of Castres’ grasp – but they return to the Champions Cup thanks to a seventh-place finish.

Those results elsewhere meant that Pau missed out on a first-ever Champions Cup slot, despite beating Perpignan 36-24 in an end-to-end nine-try encounter at Stade du Hameau.

Double World Champion Sam Whitelock scored with his final touch of a rugby ball as a professional in the 81st minute to seal the deal for Sebastien Piqueronies’ side.

Toulon were guaranteed a top-six finish for the first time since 2018 before making the always difficult trip to Stade Francais for the final weekend. But a victory at Jean Bouin would have seen them overtake the Parisians and grab the second semi-final pass on the last weekend.

But Karim Ghezal’s side had other ideas. Despite a Toulon fightback, they held on to win 23-20 and confirm second place, leaving the visitors with home advantage in the barrage round next weekend.

As expected, Yannick Bru’s Bordeaux were in party mode against already relegated Oyonnax at Stade Chaban Delmas. Pete Samu scored two first-half tries as – even without late withdrawal Louis Bielle-Biarrey – the home side ran riot, and ran in six tries to win 40-7.

Clermont’s Argentinian fullback Bautista Delguy scored three of Clermont’s eight tries as Christophe Urios’s side climbed into the top eight with a 52-15 bonus-point win over Montpellier at Stade Marcel Michelin.

The visitors’ head coach Patrice Collazo rested several key players ahead of his side’s potentially very difficult survival play-off at Stade des Alpes against losing ProD2 finalists Grenoble – but it was a memorable night for 20-year-old backrow Cantin Foguet, who scored his first Top 14 try on his first start.

Lyon signed off a difficult season, saved by their home form, with an impressive 40-28 win over a Toulouse side missing several key players as Ugo Mola keeps his eyes firmly on more serious challenges ahead. As it was with Whitelock at Pau, so it was at Lyon as Toulouse’s Sofiane Guitoune signed off his career with a try in the 80th minute.

Earlier on Saturday, Vannes beat Grenoble 16-9 in the ProD2 final at Stade Ernest Wallon, to become the first side from Brittany to win promotion to the Top 14, replacing relegated Oyonnax.

The beaten finalists will host Montpellier next Sunday at Stade des Alpes.