'Zero pace, zero tempo, as if we were playing for the first time' - O'Gara takes blame as La Rochelle slump to Stade
BLINDING LIGHT: La Rochelle's Irish head coach Ronan O'Gara looks on as his players warm up before the French Top14 rugby union match between Stade Francais Paris and La Rochelle at the Jean-Bouin Stadium in Paris on October 31, 2026. Pic: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP via Getty Images
Ronan O’Gara branded his La Rochelle squad ‘first-timers’ as he took responsibility for their indisciplined 43-24 defeat at Stade Francais.
“I don’t think you need me to analyse the match, but the first 40 minutes were tough for us,” he said after his side had lost their second match in a row. “Over the 80 minutes, there was a lot of indiscipline and unforced errors.
“It was simply impossible to get any rhythm going in the first half – there was zero pace, zero tempo. It was a bit as if we were fielding players who were playing for the first time.
The Rochelais gave up 20 penalties at Stade Jean Bouin, including two in the first three minutes, that set the tone for the rest of a match in which they were repeatedly overwhelmed up front.
The penalty count continued to rise at the rate of one every four minutes in the first half, as Stade Francais built a 22-0 lead in the opening 33 minutes.
“We’re giving our opponents too many gifts,” O’Gara said. “We can’t aspire to be competitive... There's desire, there’s will, but that’s not what top-level rugby is about.
“I expected more after last week. I’m responsible. We’re going to change things, and I hope we’ll get better results."
Ironically, with Levani Botia paying the sin-bin price for La Rochelle’s poor discipline, the visitors finally forced their hosts into an error, and Aleksandre Kuntelia gave them a foothold they scarcely deserved.
Stade’s Italian hooker Giacomo Nicotera had scored twice in the opening half and completed his hat-trick 10 minutes into the second period.
La Rochelle’s South African second row Salmaan Moerat notched his first Top 14 try a few minutes later, starting a period in which they had several chances to force their way back into the game, but failed to take any until they were handed a penalty try nine minutes from time. But Juan Martin Scelzo and Tomasi Maka crossed for the hosts to confirm the five-point victory.
Clermont ended a run of four matches without a win by beating fellow early season strugglers Racing 92 37-30 at Stade Marcel Michelin.
A revamped Bordeaux – one of several Top 14 sides without the services of a number of internationals retained by France coach Fabien Galthie for the return of the Nations Championship next weekend – beat Bayonne 19-14 thanks to a 78th-minute try from 19-year-old winger Hugo Avogadro, and an after-the-hooter jackal from Tom Willis.
Five second-half tries, including a late double for Gabin Lorre, helped Lyon to a bonus-point 48-25 win over bottom-of-the-table Vannes.
Toulon’s turnaround after the shock of the departure of Pierre Mignoni continued, as they recorded their fourth win on the bounce following his shock resignation at the beginning of October – a hard-fought 24-25 victory at Perpignan, decided by an on-the-hooter try from Junior Kpoku, who had just returned to the pitch after serving out a yellow card.
Elsewhere, there was a change to the weekend’s scheduled Top 14 programming. Planned social protests near Montpellier’s Septeo Stadium on Saturday prompted the prefect of Herault to postpone the match between Montpellier and Castres to Sunday afternoon.
Later, Joe Simmonds returns from injury to the Pau starting line-up for their Sunday-night match against a heavily rotated Toulouse at Stade du Hameau.
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