'It was a day for men' - O'Gara hails La Rochelle character after gritty win in Perpignan

O’Gara unsurprisingly singled-out match-winner Nolann Le Garrec for praise after he was responsible for 26 of La Rochelle's 31 points 

CLOSE WATCH: La Rochelle's Irish head coach Ronan O'Gara (C) looks on prior to the French Top14 rugby union match between USA Perpignan and La Rochelle at the Aime-Giral stadium in Perpignan. Pic: Valentine CHAPUIS/AFP via Getty Images

Ronan O’Gara praised his La Rochelle side’s character as they held firm to snatch a late and hard-fought 31-29 victory in a momentum-swinging Top 14 match against Perpignan at Stade Aime Giral.

Scrum-half Nolann Le Garrec added two more tries to his tally, scoring 26 of his side’s points — to add to the 25 he managed in last weekend’s home win over Bordeaux — including the 79th-minute penalty that took the points away from the home side.