Toulon focus clearly on Munster as they are hammered by Ronan O'Gara's La Rochelle

Will Skelton made his long-awaited comeback for La Rochelle with an appearance off the bench

Sun, 04 Jan, 2026 - 22:15

James Harrington

Hooker Tolu Latu and scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec both scored twice as Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle warmed up a full-house on a frozen evening at Marcel Deflandre with a 10-try 66-0 win over a youthful Toulon squad that barely threw a punch all evening.

The one-way mismatch feared since the squads were announced on Saturday evening quickly became reality, as — a week before O’Gara’s side face Leinster in Dublin in the Champions Cup — they benefited from what was effectively an extended training ground run-out against Pierre Mignoni’s academy-heavy Toulon Hypotheticals, featuring 10 academy players, including three making their senior debuts.

The match may have been billed as a foregone conclusion, with Mignoni’s focus clearly on Munster, but O’Gara and La Rochelle know well enough to be wary of such certainties. A year to the day previously, a strong La Rochelle side had struggled to beat a Toulouse side so lacking in experience that the term ‘callow’ was overqualified.

It was clear very early this was not going to be a repeat of that match. The hosts scored five tries in the opening period, Jules Favre, Nolann Le Garrec and Levani Botia — rolling back the years again — adding their names alongside Lotu’s on the scoresheet, from nine 22 entries, while Toulon mustered just a single sortie into the home side’s danger zone.

Fans did not have to wait much longer for second-row Will Skelton to make his long-awaited return. He was one of four replacements who came on with the second half just two minutes old, as O’Gara started ringing the changes. And his first job was a role in a monstrous maul that ate up many a metre that led to Davit Niniashvili scoring La Rochelle’s sixth try a minute later.

Le Garrec added his second, and the hosts’ seventh in the 46th minute.

Skelton added their eighth shortly before the hour. Young backrow Kirill Fraindt added their ninth just after it. Dillyn Leyds then added a 10th, appropriately enough 10 minutes from time.

Ma’a Nonu denied replacement prop Aleksandre Kuntelia their 11th with the clock deep in the red — but, by then, O’Gara was happier with the figure on the other side of the scoreboard.

It was a weekend for hookers bagging multiple tries. Barnabe Massa scored a hat-trick as Clermont picked up their second win on the road this season, a 34-19 bonus-point win at Montauban, who slipped to the foot of the table as a result.

And Christopher Tolofua, also picked up a triple as Montpellier hammered Bayonne 62-22 at the Septeo Stadium. The Basque side, who are in Leicester next Saturday, have conceded 381 points in eight away matches in all competitions this season.

Perpignan climbed off the foot of the table for the first time since September 27, after scoring twice in the final 10 minutes to come from behind to beat a pre-Champions Cup-rotated Toulouse.

Lyon broke a losing streak that stretched back to November as they held their nerve to beat second-placed Pau 22-17, while Leo Barre scored in the 79th minute to earn Stade Francais a try-scoring bonus as they beat Castres 33-15 at Stade Jean Bouin.

Champions Cup holders Bordeaux scored 47 unanswered points in the closing 25 minutes of their match against Racing 92 at Stade Chaban Delmas en route to a nine-try bonus-point 62-20 win.