O'Gara finally solves his road sickness as La Rochelle roar past Lyon

Top 14 round-up: At the fourth time of asking, the Munster legend saw his side find paydirt away from home as prolific first half provides base for compelling win

MOVING ON UP: Ronan O'Gara saw his side find their groove in Lyon. Pic: ROMAIN PERROCHEAU / AFP

Paul Boudehent and Nolann Le Garrec were in full international mode as Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle beat Lyon 35-19 at Stade Gerland to claim their first away win of the season at the fourth time of asking.

After bagging losing bonus points at Bordeaux and Stade Francais, the Rochelais — with Ihaia West also picking up where he left off against Montauban at Stade Marcel Deflandre last weekend before a hamstring injury forced him off early in the second half — moved level on points with Toulouse, with a game in hand following the storm-forced postponement of their trip to Toulon.

“I hope it’s not too serious,” West said of his injury. “It spoiled my enjoyment a bit, because coming off after 40 minutes of a match like this was tough.

“At the same time, I'm really happy for the whole team, the whole club, for the performance we put in today. We were organised in attack: we did some good things in the first half, though we were a bit weak at the restarts. We sorted that out in the second half, we played in the right areas.

“At Montpellier, we learned a valuable lesson about how to approach away games. Here, we came out with a lot of energy and I think this is our benchmark away game for the start of the season.” 

Boudehent, playing in the second row rather than his usual position on the flanks, scored his third career brace — just over a year after scoring his first — in a thoroughly unserious first half. Lyon’s crowd favourite Jiuta Wainiqolo also scored twice in the opening quarter to take his season’s try tally to six in five matches, and Davit Niniashvili touched down for the visitors against his former club. West and the home side’s prop Thomas Moukoro also crossed in a seven-try opening spell that ended 28-19 in favour of the visitors.

La Rochelle’s scrum has been out of sorts in the early rounds of the season, but the pack found their mojo to power Lyon out of the game in a second half that was as defense-led as the first had been attack dominated.

Le Garrec gave his side a 12-point cushion early after the break, and La Rochelle then closed ranks to keep Lyon at bay until Quentin Lespiaucq crashed over in the 73rd minute.

Replacement prop Christian Luaki then drove over Lyon’s line with the clock in the red, but the visitors were denied a bonus point try following a TMO discussion.

But scrum coach Uini Atonio was happy enough without the try-scoring bonus. “If someone had told us we would win four points yesterday, I would have signed up.

“We’re happy. We had our chances, but you have to earn the five points — and on our last two penalty kicks, we didn't finish the job.

“I’m not saying we’re disappointed. The four points are huge, and we have to be happy with that to continue the season.” 

Promoted Montauban’s first Top 14 victory in 15 years condemned Perpignan to their eighth defeat of the season, to leave the Catalans seven points adrift of their hosts in 13th and an already precipitous 18 behind 12th-placed Lyon. Two late Jerome Bosviel penalties handed the home side a 29-22 win, and left the visitors still searching for their first league points, with a trip to Pau next up before the respite of the international break.

Maxime Lucu, to the relief of France head coach Fabien Galthie, hit full throttle immediately on his first outing this season after being provisionally called up to the France squad, as Bordeaux beat Bayonne 41-12 at the Matmut Atlantique to record back-to-back victories for the first time this season. But it wasn’t all good news, as Matthieu Jalibert picked up a thigh injury late in the game. Les Bleus’ staff will hope it’s not too serious.

“We were run over,” was Castres’ coach Xavier Sadourney’s succinctly honest view after his side were hit by the full-force of a second-half six-try Clermont steamroller, a 14-6 halftime score turning into a 63-14 nightmare.

Racing 92’s young fly-half Ugo Seunes landed five penalties as they beat early season pacesetters Pau 15-10 at Creteil.

Braces for Noah Nene and Peniasi Dakuwaqa set Stade Francais on their way to a bonus-point 35-12 win over Montpellier at Stade Jean Bouin. The visitors didn’t even bother the scoreboard until eight minutes from time.

Blair Kinghorn and Teddy Thomas will start for Toulouse on Sunday, with new father Thomas Ramos on the bench, as they host a rotated Toulon side — without the injured Baptiste Serin, and with captain Charles Ollivon starting in the second row.