Leinster’s Champions Cup Bid Ended By Powerful La Rochelle

Leinster’s Heineken Champions Cup journey is over for another year after they fell to a 32-23 semi-final defeat to La Rochelle at Stade Marcel Deflandre.

The hosts’ powerful pack decided the contest as they served up a 20-point second half, with Gregory Alldritt and Will Skelton crossing during the final quarter-of-an-hour.

Leinster had started brightly, ending the first 40 minutes with a 13-12 lead. They bookended the game with tries from Tadhg Furlong and Ross Byrne, who also kicked 13 points.

However, the province’s dreams of a first European title since 2018 are over as La Rochelle marched on to their first Champions Cup decider, facing Toulouse in an all-French affair at Twickenham on May 22.

The province paid the price for some costly penalties – La Rochelle’s Kiwi out-half Ihaia West kicked 22 points – with Leo Cullen saying afterwards: “We weren’t clinical enough really. In the first half we created lots of opportunities, they just hung in there well, didn’t they, just keeping the scoreboard (moving), three, six, nine (points).

“We couldn’t pull far enough away from them after having lots of good pressure and play. A few big turnovers at different stages as well, a few turnovers then at the start of the second half, which gives them more field position and territory.

“Then they just start to play that pressure game, some of the big power runners they have, particularly Skelton. A couple of guys start slipping off tackles, particularly on him, and he definitely is a handful, gets in for his try towards the end.

“That was kind of the game, not quite accurate enough from us at various different stages in terms of nailing some opportunities and a couple of big turnovers around the ruck in both halves.

“First half we can’t stretch our lead to get far enough in front and then second half which just gives them a lot of access down to our end of the field.

“A lot goes into getting us to this point so it’s pretty disappointing when we don’t give a full account of ourselves on the day.”

There were encouraging early signs for the four-time champions in the sunshine, despite an initial narrow penalty miss by out-half Byrne, on the occasion of his 100th Leinster cap.

A string of carries close to the line paved the way for prop Furlong to power over in the eighth minute, as Leinster quickly capitalised on the sin-binning of flanker Wiaan Liebenberg.

Following Byrne’s successful conversion, his opposite number West made sure La Rochelle ended the opening quarter just 7-6 in arrears thanks to a well-struck penalty and a drop goal.

Byrne tested out Dillyn Leyds with a searching kick, and with Skelton soon guilty of going off his feet, Byrne was accurate from the tee.

The margin was back to seven points in the 26th minute, Garry Ringrose’s in-and-out run gaining metres and some patient collective probing leading to Byrne’s second successive three-pointer.

Nonetheless, La Rochelle foiled a promising Leinster surge thanks to Pierre Bourgarit winning a breakdown penalty, and it was Jono Gibbes and Ronan O’Gara’s side that threatened as half-time loomed.

Byrne was caught on the wrong side of a ruck for West to claim back three points. La Rochelle’s aggressive defence was causing problems for Leinster, who had lost key flanker Rhys Ruddock to a calf injury.

The visitors did well to avoid conceding a late try – Jordan Larmour, James Ryan and centres Ringrose and Robbie Henshaw all made vital tackles – but West cut the gap to the minimum from a 36th-minute kick.

The tactic to use the sun to test Larmour was immediately tried by La Rochelle when the second half got underway. He dealt with it well and fellow winger Jame Lowe did even better from a West bomb.

An arm on the shoulder of Bourgarit – the star-of-the-match – was spotted by referee Matthew Carley, setting up West to kick the first-time semi-finalists in front for the first time.

When Skelton powered out of a tackle, Leinster needed Lowe’s solid decision to take Leyds in space. This was undone when the Ireland winger was binned for use of his foot at the ruck.

The penalty against Lowe allowed to West strike again in the 56th minute. La Rochelle’s powerful surges were becoming more impactful and Leinster needed Josh van der Flier to hold up Tawera Kerr-Barlow short.

It was still a five-metre scrum to the hosts and they made it pay. Victor Vito attacked Byrne off the scrum, and fellow back rower Alldritt made it the rest of the way to the line. West’s conversion had Leinster 25-16 behind.

Cullen’s men stayed true to their style, swiftly going to width with Lowe down on one side and Ronan Kelleher on the other before Leyds nipped in for a turnover penalty.

Once La Rochelle got within range again, Skelton burst from a maul to break tackles on his way to grabbing the decisive try, with seven minutes remaining.

There was time for Leinster to hit back but it was only a consolation score. Scott Fardy, Ed Byrne and Henshaw crashed it up, and out-half Byrne’s dummy produced a converted try in the dying minutes.