Breaking down the La Rochelle v Leinster rivalry

An element of edge has run through it like a stick of rock regardless of personnel.

13 April 2024; Joe McCarthy of Leinster is tackled by Jack Nowell of La Rochelle during the Investec Champions Cup quarter-final match between Leinster and La Rochelle at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile

There are plenty of European club rivalries that have been built on a greater volume of games than La Rochelle and Leinster. Few, though, have been hothoused like the one that will offer up a sixth chapter since May of 2021 on Sunday afternoon.

No-one has met in the Heineken/Champions Cup more than Munster and Castres who went at it for an 18th time before Christmas. And Munster’s win over Saracens on Saturday night was another brought to mind similar encounters than the years.