Bruising Sunday as O'Gara left to count the cost of a particularly punishing defeat to Perpignan 

Top 14 round-up: Corkman sees much-changed La Rochelle side go through the wars, finishing the game with a 20-year-old academy winger at scrum-half

IN THE WARS: La Rochelle's Irish coach Ronan O'Gara looks on prior to the French Top14 rugby union match between USA Perpignan and Stade Rochelais at the Aime-Giral stadium in Perpignan, south-western France, on December 29, 2024. Pic:  Valentine CHAPUIS/AFP

Ronan O’Gara was left counting the injury cost of La Rochelle’s 21-13 loss following a fast, furious and physical Top 14 encounter at Perpignan that saw the visitors play the entire second half with a 20-year-old academy winger at scrum-half, and starting fly-half Antoine Hastoy finish the match at centre for the first time in his senior career.

The prospect of defeat in darkest Pyrénées-Orientales was always baked into O’Gara’s strategy for La Rochelle’s final outing of 2024. He rested a number of key players for the trip – including Will Skelton, Uini Atonio, Grégory Alldritt, Ulupano Seuteni, Dillyn Leyds and Ihaia West – with one eye firmly on next Saturday’s match against Toulouse at Stade Marcel Deflandre.