As it happened: Munster stun Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle in the Champions Cup
MATCH WINNER: Munster's Jack Crowley scores a drop goal to win it for his side. Pic: ©INPHO/Ben Brady.
Stade Marcel-Deflandre Jack Crowley produced a moment of Ronan O’Gara-like magic as Munster added to their European legend in fine style on Saturday.
For the full match report, click on the link h ere.
Well, well, well. Talk about drama. What a win for Munster (sorry Ronan O'Gara).
Stay tuned to our website for the match report from Simon Lewis at the stadium and the best of the analysis and reaction from a famous night for Munster.
Jack Crowley named player of the match.
TMO checking it.
MUNSTER PENALTY!
La Rochelle on the attack once again.
TMO have a quick look at the La Rochelle try but it's fine.
And they add the extras thanks to Hastoy. This is going down to the wire.
Hastoy sends an excellent kick across the pitch and Bosmorin gets it down.
TRY FOR LA ROCHELLE!
Penalty La Rochelle after Fineen Wycherley lifts the legs. They kick it into the corner. Munster down a man still for one more minute.
Munster with the ball now deep into their opponents half. They're in no rush, understandbly. Eating into the clock.
Superb by Jack Crowley 🔥
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 5, 2025
The @Munsterrugby #10 nails a drop goal attempt to make it an 8-point game 👏#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/JD9QEtENi9
PENALTY MUNSTER. Brilliant from Tadhg Beirne the relieve the pressure.
The Fields of Athenry rings around the French stadium.
La Rochelle on the attack by Munster win it back and get a penalty. Great stuff there by Andrew Smith.
What a kick by Jack Crowley. That could be decisive.
DROP GOAL FOR MUNSTER!
And Alex Kendellen is sent to the sin bin. Big test this now for Munster.
PENALTY TRY LA ROCHELLE!
7.14pm TMO checking for a yellow card and maybe a penalty try.
Kendellen defends well as La Rochelle look to power their way across the line.
La Rochelle looks to finish for a try quickly but there was two ball on the pitch. They will try again.
A Munster scrum ends in a penalty for the home side. West is kicking for the corner. And he finds it, great kick.
Alex Kendellen is on for John Hodnett. An exhausted John Hodnett that is.
And now they will need to reset.
Could've gone either way but the referee awards La Rochelle a scrum.
Another sub for Munster. Rory Scannell in for Thaakir Abrahams.
La Rochelle fans rise the cheer on their team as they look to finish this attacking move.
"That could be THE moment of this game!" 🎙️
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 5, 2025
Andrew Smith with a massive try to extend @Munsterrugby's lead against La Rochelle 🔴#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/6PbTDnRouc
Munster subs. Stephen Archer and Tom Ahern on for Peter O'Mahony and Jean Kleyn.
The Champions will be down to 14 men for another seven minutes following Dillyn Leyds yellow card before the line-out.
Now La Rochelle have a mountain to climb. Great decision to kick to the corner and Munster finish in the corner through Andrew Smith. Crowley can't add the conversion.
TRY FOR MUNSTER!
Coombes blocks an attempted clearance and finishes behind the line. Crowley duly adds the extras.
6.49pm TRY FOR MUNSTER!
6:47pm: Munster have a penalty. Massive momentum shift.
6:47pm: "Poor by Teddy Thomas, borderline arrogant," Simon Zebo says about the La Rochelle winger and the chance he had to score there.
6:45pm: Somehow La Rochelle haven't scored another try here. Incredible scramble defence by Munster. It's held up. La Rochelle really should have scored there. Munster never gave up.
6:43pm: Super tackle by Calvin Nash in the corner stops a La Rochelle try. Munster have the lineout but it's very messy. Munster have knocked it forward. La Rochelle have a five metre scrum. Massive moment now.
6:42pm: Great start to the second half for Munster.
6:41pm: Huge turnover for Munster. They've got a penalty. The flags go up. Jack Crowley has kicked Munster level.
6:40pm: Half-time substitution here. Andrew Horgan is your finisher.
6:33pm: Andy Goode and Alan Quinlan say on Premier Sports that Munster's Andrew Smith should not have been yellow carded.
6:31pm: The turning point of that first half for Munster may have been Tadhg Beirne having a word with the referee about Ihaia West's tackle on Seán O'Brien. The official didn't like Beirne confronting him but it did end with a yellow card.
6:25pm: That was a really entertaining half. Munster somehow weathered all that early pressure and will be really disappointed they didn't put more points on the board while West was in the sin bin.
6:24pm: In front of the post, La Rochelle decide they'll take the points. West kicks an La Rochelle lead 10-7 at the break.
6:24pm: Crossfield kick by West for La Rochelle but it's too high. They'll come back for the advantage.
6:23pm: Another penalty against Munster. La Rochelle advantage.
6:22pm: Tadhg Beirne looks like he's won the turnover but the referee doesn't agree. It's a penalty for La Rochelle against Peter O'Mahony. The clock is in the red but they kick to the corner.
6:20pm: So close for Tadhg Beirne! He nearly intercepted that pass in midfield. Anticipated it so well but just couldn't hold on.
6:19pm: Munster put in on their own 22. Jack Crowley clears to near halfway.
6:17pm: Penalty La Rochelle at the scrum. The ref points the finger at Josh Wycherley.
6:15pm: La Rochelle are back to full force after West's yellow card. Munster have a scrum on halfway near the sideline after a forward pass.
6:13pm: Penalty for La Rochelle on their own 22. Some big hits going in there. It looks like they'll survive West's yellow card with just one try conceded.
6:10pm: Ihaia West has 10 more minutes in the bin.
"Craig Casey has scored a cracker!" 🎙️
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 5, 2025
What a step by Thaakir Abrahams to set up the try that has @Munsterrugby on the board 🔴#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/eWgZdzKn4Z
6:09pm: That was such a promising moment for Munster but the La Rochelle defence, down to 14 players, forces a knock on.
6:08pm: Munster attacking on the La Rochelle 22. They're close now.
6:06pm: After a scrappy moment of play, the referee eventually decides Munster knocked on at the lineout.
6:05pm: The momentum is with Munster now. They have a penalty and Jack Crowley boots it down the line. Munster have a lineout on the La Rochelle five metre line.
6:04pm: Oh my. That was electric by Munster. It was exactly what they need with La Rochelle down to 14.
6:03pm: Munster try!! Craig Casey touches down. It was make by Thaakir Abrahams at fullback. He made a sensational break. Casey was there on his shoulder to cross the whitewash. Crowley converts and Munster are level.
6:02pm: Barron finds Kleyn at the lineout but it's messy. Casey mops up.
6pm: Yellow card for La Rochelle. Ihaia West has been sent to the sin bin. Munster really need to capitalise on this.
5:59pm: The ref is checking for possible foul play by West on O'Brien. It looks like a high tackle.
5:57pm: Penalty against Calvin Nash. Jean Kleyn is now down receiving treatment. The referee is having a word with Tadhg Beirne, or maybe Tadhg Beirne is having a word with the referee. The TMO is looking at a tackle on Seán O'Brien.
5:55pm: Munster have a scrum just outside their own 22 after a La Rochelle knock on.
5:54pm: Munster have managed this period while down to 14 pretty well. Andrew Smith is back on.
5:52pm: La Rochelle look so threatening with ball in hand. They've worked it wide off a scrum. They are five metres from the line but Munster win the turnover. Nice clearance kick by Craig Casey gives Munster some breathing room.
5:48pm: Some concern about Gavin Coombes who's down getting treatment but he's up now.
5:47pm: Nice work from Munster in attack on the La Rochelle 22. Final pass from Seán O'Brien to Calvin Nash out wide was poor. La Rochelle have the lineout.
5:46pm: Substitution already for Munster. Front row Jeremy Loughman goes off injury and Josh Wycherley is on.
5:45pm: Ihaia West adds the extras.
Levani Botia opens the scoring! 🇫🇯
— Premier Sports (@PremSportsTV) April 5, 2025
Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle take the lead against Munster after ten minutes 🟡⚫#InvestecChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/dtSrIKbyQ4
5:44pm: La Rochelle are over again. Levani Botia touches down. Very little doubt about this one. They lead 5-0. Alldritt and Seuteni were superb in the build up.
5:43pm: Yellow card for Munster winger Andrew Smith!
5:42pm: John Hodnett can get his hands on a pass in midfield. It's a knock on and a scrum for La Rochelle on their own 10m line.
5:40pm: Munster have an advantage. Craig Casey tries a really ambitious crossfield kick. Nearly came off too. It would have been magnificent if it had.
5:39pm: Barron finds Beirne with the lineout throw. A nice little kick from Craig Casey finds some space in the La Rochelle 22. The French side win the line out.
5:38pm: Great turnover by Hodnett. Penalty for Munster just outside their 22. Crowley kicks down the line.
5:36pm: Cross kick from Jack Crowley but it's well over Calvin Nash's head. La Rochelle will have the lineout.
5:34pm: The try is ruled out. Relief for Munster.
5:32pm: Hold on. There may be an issue with the La Rochelle try. It looks like Teddy Thomas' foot was in touch. A lifeline for Munster.
5:31pm: La Rochelle try! Not even a minute on the clock. Tawera Kerr-Barlow touches down. Very sloppy from Munster.
5:30pm: Ihaia West gets the game is underway!
5:21pm: A few words from ROG on Munster pre-game: "They stay in the fight, you can’t give them gifts. We’re out of form, but we are a thoroughbred horse."
5:15pm: 15 minutes to kick-off. The game will be live on Premier Sports for those of you wondering.
Mick Galwey leading Zombie outside the stadium.
— Murray Kinsella (@Murray_Kinsella) April 5, 2025
Unreal scenes here. pic.twitter.com/vopSdK8pVO
5pm: Leinster have clattered Harlequins 62-0 at Croke Park. They will face either Glasgow or Leicester in the quarters.
5pm: MUNSTER: T Abrahams; C Nash, T Farrell, S O’Brien, A Smith; J Crowley, C Casey; J Loughman, D Barron, O Jager; J Kleyn, T Beirne - captain; P O’Mahony, J Hodnett, G Coombes.
Replacements: N Scannell, J Wycherley, S Archer, F Wycherley, T Ahern, C Murray, R Scannell, A Kendellen.
LA ROCHELLE: D Leyds; J Nowell, T Thomas, UJ Seuteni, H Bosmorin; I West, T Kerr-Barlow; R Wardi, P Bourgarit, U Atonio; 4. T Lavault, 5. W Skelton; L Botia, O Jegou, G Alldritt (c)
Replacements: Q Lespiaucq, A Kaddouri, A Kuntelia, U Dillane, J Cancoriet, M Haddad, A Hastoy, J Favre,
4:55pm: In his Irish Examiner column, Ronan O'Gara looked back on where he is today: plotting the downfall of his beloved Munster.
"You need to be an unbelievably good coach to maintain positivity and top form in a period when you’re in a bad rut," O'Gara wrote about today's match between Munster and his La Rochelle side.
"And I haven’t passed that test yet. If the timing was different, maybe this would be a different game, maybe this week would feel different. The result always matters, but we need this result. Obviously Munster need it too, so one team goes away devastated."
4:50pm: Tadhg Beirne knows what's ahead of Munster at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. “It's going to be a pretty intense game, said the Munster captain, "the atmosphere is going to feel like it probably can suffocate you at times, and that is kind of what French rugby, does, and it's probably why they struggle on the road so much.
“That's the challenge. They love the power game, they love big carries, they love big hits, so that's all ahead of us. We're going to have to front up to that and be ready for it all, and hopefully not just match it but be even more physical and more powerful than they are.” You can read more from B eirne and Munster attack coach Mike Prendergast.
4:45pm: The French side's captain Grégory Alldritt said that if his side have any respect for Ronan O'Gara, they "have to do the job against Munster".
4:40pm: La Rochelle are amid rotten run of form right now, without a win in eight games. It's a barren spell of their own making according to James Harrington.
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