La Rochelle at a 'low point' says Ronan O’Gara after fifth defeat on the trot

The head coach had to watch from the stands as his side went down 43-33 against Montpellier at home.

La Rochelle’s Head Coach Ronan O'Gara: 'It’s a cycle in sport that comes after great years.' File Pic: INPHO/Billy Stickland

A downbeat Ronan O’Gara reached for scant optimism as he insisted he was ‘proud’ of his players after ‘low-point’ La Rochelle slipped to a 43-33 defeat against Montpellier, their fifth in a row in all competitions and their fourth this season in front of their home fans.

Serving the first week of an FFR-extended ban for his red card in the Top 14 match at Pau on November 30, O’Gara could only watch from high in the stands at Marcel Deflandre as his side, missing 19 players to injury and with Davit Niniashvili playing at centre for the first time in his professional career, shipped more than 40 points at home for the second match in a row.