Murray Kinsella
Reports from Stade Marcel Deflandre
La Rochelle 14
Leinster 16
A NIGHTMARE FINAL four minutes for La Rochelle out-half Antoine Hastoy was Leinster’s delight at the end of a brilliant game of rugby.
Hastoy saw his long-range penalty attempt to win the game drop short, then had a drop goal effort blocked down by Josh van der Flier, and with the clock nearly three minutes in the red and La Rochelle desperately searching for a way, his pass flew forward. Game over.
A final defensive grandstand was fitting because Leinster’s ability to withstand great pressure, seeming to even enjoy it, was to the fore throughout as they dug out victory in La Rochelle to make it three wins from three in Pool 2 of the Champions Cup.
This hard-earned success on the road strengthens Leinster’s hopes of being one of the top seeds heading into the knock-out stages, with a home game against Bath still to come next weekend.
The Irish province’s steely defensive effort in the first quarter was key to winning, as they scrambled as energetically as ever and brought the kind of punch in contact that Jacques Nienebar demands.
Their attack didn’t have too many chances but they scored a superb first-half try through second row Joe McCarthy, who finished a slick two-phase lineout strike play conjured up by Tyler Bleyendaal. Sam Prendergast kicked 11 points off the tee.
Leinster boss Leo Cullen had to watch his side reeled in by La Rochelle though and those closing minutes were surely deeply stressful but the end result is a third consecutive win over their great rivals, two of them here at Stade Marcel Deflandre.
The visitors once again used their new tactic of bringing loosehead prop Andrew Porter off the bench just 20 minutes into the game but it was a tit-for-tat battle in the scrum on an evening when the collisions were titanic at times.
Ronan O’Gara’s men will rue their inability to take chances early in the game and in that dramatic endgame but Leinster were worthy winners.
Jules Favre and Jordie Barrett. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
La Rochelle had dominated the first quarter in terms of possession and territory, opening the scoring after four minutes when Hastoy fired over a penalty to punish the Leinster defence for jumping offside.
O’Gara’s men soon burst through the Leinster defence in their 22 when back row Paul Boudehent broke Robbie Henshaw’s tackle, only for the outstanding Caelan Doris and van der Flier to counter-ruck and choke tackle La Rochelle scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
The visitors scrambled well again two minutes later after Jack Nowell beat Garry Ringrose down the right before offloading to Hastoy, whose blind pass landed into the grateful arms of Jamie Osborne.
Leinster levelled the game in the 12th minute when Boudehent played the ball in an offside position but Prendergast had a tough minute after his successful three-pointer, seeing his exit kick blocked down on and then losing an aerial contest against Brice Dulin. La Rochelle kicked in behind Leinster cleverly off that Brice Dulin regain and drove Jordie Barrett back over his own tryline.
They turned the five-metre scrum into a penalty, opted for another scrum but Leinster were up to the defensive challenge on their own tryline. There was another penalty concession, La Rochelle going into the corner that time, but eventually Jamison Gibson-Park and van der Flier counter-rucked strongly to force a side entry against Oscar Jegou.
The barrage continued as Jegou then stole a lineout and slick hands put Nowell into space wide on the right but Barrett scrambled to shackle him, with Doris earning his second strip turnover in the tackle.
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La Rochelle's Brice Dulin. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
La Rochelle had 80% territory and 70% possession at this stage and finally took three points after Henshaw failed to roll away from a tackle but a 6-3 lead didn’t feel like ample reward.
Leinster were hungry for some attacking chances and they sparked into life when Doris’ tip pass sent Ryan Baird on a big linebreak only for Gibson-Park’s cross-field kick to clear Osborne and land in touch.
They sensed their chance and struck beautifully from a 30th-minute lineout in La Rochelle’s half, with Henshaw carrying on first phase from Rónan Kelleher’s long throw. Leinster bounced immediately back to their left with a clever strike play as Baird’s inside pass allowed Osborne to burst through Uini Atonio’s tackle attempt and draw Nowell before sending McCarthy over for a converted try.
La Rochelle’s fans thought they might have responded within a couple of minutes when Hastoy picked up a bobbling ball in his own 22 and ran the length but the TMO review showed that Nowell had knocked on Prendergast’s pass just before.
Referee Nika Amashukeli ruled that it wasn’t deliberate by Nowell but Hastoy had been offside so Leinster kicked into the left corner. Opportunity knocked but La Rochelle skipper Grégory Alldritt made a brilliant turnover as the Leinster maul formed.
La Rochelle won their second scrum penalty of the afternoon just before half time, although loosehead Reda Wardi joined Atonio in being forced off injured, but they couldn’t take advantage of another visit to the Leinster 22 as Boudehent’s poor delivery off the lineout was knocked on by Alldritt.
Leinster centre Garry Ringrose. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Leading 10-6, Leinster knew the home side would come out swinging in the second half although La Rochelle replacement tighthead Georges-Henri Colombe allowed his frustration to spill over when he ripped Doris’ headguard off during a schemozzle, giving up a needless penalty.
Indeed, La Rochelle’s indisciplined start to the second 40 meant Leinster quickly had a visit into the home 22 but Ringrose was choked tackled for a turnover.
With Rabah Slimani and RG Snyman sent on, Leinster turned the tide at scrum time for a big 50th-minute surge for penalty advantage before Alldritt’s breakdown infringement gave Prendergast a more central position from which to kick Leinster into a 13-6 lead.
The scoreline ticked up to 16-6 in the 55th minute after Jules Favre played the ball on the ground after tackling Ringrose. The pressure initially came from a sloppy Judicaël Cancoriet knock-on. From 42 metres out deafening boos ringing out, Prendergast held his nerve.
La Rochelle should have quickly chipped back at the Leinster advantage when their scrum won a midfield penalty but Hastoy’s effort struck the post.
Ronan Kelleher is tackled by Ultan Dillane and Thomas Lavault. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
Yet replacement Leinster back row Jack Conan knocked the ball on as it rebounded so further pressure ensued. Cullen’s men were caught offside in defence and from 15 metres out, straight in front, Hastoy kicked his third successful penalty.
Heading into the final quarter, Leinster had a seven-point lead at 16-9 as the coaching staff went to their bench again and made a backline rejig that had Ringrose on the right wing, from where he landed a huge tackle that Hastoy took some time to get up from. The out-half never seemed to fully recover from it.
Yet La Rochelle weren’t ready to lie down in what was an increasingly scrappy encounter as subs like Levani Botia and Ultan Dillane began to impact.
Osborne kicked too long down the left and saw the ball run dead for a scrum back on the Leinster 10-metre line, from where La Rochelle launched a brilliant try-scoring thrust.
Leinster managed their initial efforts but Hastoy then fired an excellent cross-field kick to left wing Dillyn Leyds who caught and smoothly nudged a delicate grubber past Leinster sub fullback Ciarán Frawley before calmly regathering and dotting down. It was a stunning finish.
But Hastoy’s conversion attempt was wide and Leinster should have given themselves more breathing room when Kerr-Barlow pushed Gibson-Park off the ball, only for replacement out-half Ross Byrne to surprisingly miss a centrally-positioned penalty.
Josh van der Flier evades Tawera Kerr-Barlow and Jules Favre. James Crombie / INPHO
James Crombie / INPHO / INPHO
La Rochelle seemed to be emboldened as they broke from deep but Hastoy’s two kicks out on the full in quick succession burst their momentum.
Barrett, by now playing at inside centre, missed with a long-range penalty attempt as the game ticked into the closing minutes and La Rochelle came back for one last big effort to save the game.
It was the 79th minute when Porter was pinged for not releasing in the tackle, handing Hastoy a late, late chance off the tee from just inside his own half and right in the middle of the pitch.
There was an anxious delay for Hastoy as Amashukeli assessed a possible high tackle by Doris – it was legal – before the referee marched him a half metre back after he had placed the ball. His effort felt short and came off the right post but with 30 seconds left, Leinster managed to get turned over as van der Flier was held up in a choke tackle led by Botia.
It meant one final La Rochelle scrum around 10 metres out but it wasn’t to be Hastoy or La Rochelle’s night.
La Rochelle scorers:
Tries: Dillyn Leyds
Conversions: Antoine Hastoy [0 from 1]
Penalties: Antoine Hastoy [3 from 5]
Leinster scorers:
Tries: Joe McCarthy
Conversions: Sam Prendergast [1 from 1]
Penalties: Sam Prendergast [3 from 3], Jordie Barrett [0 from 1]
STADE ROCHELAIS: Brice Dulin (Hoani Bosmorin); Jack Nowell, Ulupano Seuteni, Jules Favre (Levani Botia ’56), Dillyn Leyds; Antoine Hastoy, Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Reda Wardi (Alexandre Kaddouri ’39), Quentin Lespiaucq, Uini Atonio (Georges-Henri Colombe ’33); Thomas Lavault (Judicaël Cancoriet ’47 (Matthias Haddad ’64 (Kane Douglas ’80)), Kane Douglas (Ultan Dillane ’44); Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jegou, Grégory Alldritt (captain).
Replacement not used: Nikoloz Sutidze
LEINSTER: Jordie Barrett; Jimmy O’Brien (Ciarán Frawley ’61), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast (Ross Byrne ’61), Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath ’71); Cian Healy (Andrew Porter ’20), Rónan Kelleher (Gus McCarthy ’73), Tadhg Furlong (Rabah Slimani ’47); Joe McCarthy (RG Snyman ’47), James Ryan; Ryan Baird (Jack Conan ’47), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain).
Referee: Nika Amashukeli [Georgia].
- This article was updated at 7.00pm to correct an error regarding the penalty against La Rochelle after Jack Nowell’s knock-on.
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Leinster edge a dramatic and brilliant battle in La Rochelle
La Rochelle 14
Leinster 16
A NIGHTMARE FINAL four minutes for La Rochelle out-half Antoine Hastoy was Leinster’s delight at the end of a brilliant game of rugby.
Hastoy saw his long-range penalty attempt to win the game drop short, then had a drop goal effort blocked down by Josh van der Flier, and with the clock nearly three minutes in the red and La Rochelle desperately searching for a way, his pass flew forward. Game over.
A final defensive grandstand was fitting because Leinster’s ability to withstand great pressure, seeming to even enjoy it, was to the fore throughout as they dug out victory in La Rochelle to make it three wins from three in Pool 2 of the Champions Cup.
This hard-earned success on the road strengthens Leinster’s hopes of being one of the top seeds heading into the knock-out stages, with a home game against Bath still to come next weekend.
The Irish province’s steely defensive effort in the first quarter was key to winning, as they scrambled as energetically as ever and brought the kind of punch in contact that Jacques Nienebar demands.
Their attack didn’t have too many chances but they scored a superb first-half try through second row Joe McCarthy, who finished a slick two-phase lineout strike play conjured up by Tyler Bleyendaal. Sam Prendergast kicked 11 points off the tee.
Leinster boss Leo Cullen had to watch his side reeled in by La Rochelle though and those closing minutes were surely deeply stressful but the end result is a third consecutive win over their great rivals, two of them here at Stade Marcel Deflandre.
The visitors once again used their new tactic of bringing loosehead prop Andrew Porter off the bench just 20 minutes into the game but it was a tit-for-tat battle in the scrum on an evening when the collisions were titanic at times.
Ronan O’Gara’s men will rue their inability to take chances early in the game and in that dramatic endgame but Leinster were worthy winners.
La Rochelle had dominated the first quarter in terms of possession and territory, opening the scoring after four minutes when Hastoy fired over a penalty to punish the Leinster defence for jumping offside.
O’Gara’s men soon burst through the Leinster defence in their 22 when back row Paul Boudehent broke Robbie Henshaw’s tackle, only for the outstanding Caelan Doris and van der Flier to counter-ruck and choke tackle La Rochelle scrum-half Tawera Kerr-Barlow.
The visitors scrambled well again two minutes later after Jack Nowell beat Garry Ringrose down the right before offloading to Hastoy, whose blind pass landed into the grateful arms of Jamie Osborne.
Leinster levelled the game in the 12th minute when Boudehent played the ball in an offside position but Prendergast had a tough minute after his successful three-pointer, seeing his exit kick blocked down on and then losing an aerial contest against Brice Dulin. La Rochelle kicked in behind Leinster cleverly off that Brice Dulin regain and drove Jordie Barrett back over his own tryline.
They turned the five-metre scrum into a penalty, opted for another scrum but Leinster were up to the defensive challenge on their own tryline. There was another penalty concession, La Rochelle going into the corner that time, but eventually Jamison Gibson-Park and van der Flier counter-rucked strongly to force a side entry against Oscar Jegou.
The barrage continued as Jegou then stole a lineout and slick hands put Nowell into space wide on the right but Barrett scrambled to shackle him, with Doris earning his second strip turnover in the tackle.
La Rochelle had 80% territory and 70% possession at this stage and finally took three points after Henshaw failed to roll away from a tackle but a 6-3 lead didn’t feel like ample reward.
Leinster were hungry for some attacking chances and they sparked into life when Doris’ tip pass sent Ryan Baird on a big linebreak only for Gibson-Park’s cross-field kick to clear Osborne and land in touch.
They sensed their chance and struck beautifully from a 30th-minute lineout in La Rochelle’s half, with Henshaw carrying on first phase from Rónan Kelleher’s long throw. Leinster bounced immediately back to their left with a clever strike play as Baird’s inside pass allowed Osborne to burst through Uini Atonio’s tackle attempt and draw Nowell before sending McCarthy over for a converted try.
La Rochelle’s fans thought they might have responded within a couple of minutes when Hastoy picked up a bobbling ball in his own 22 and ran the length but the TMO review showed that Nowell had knocked on Prendergast’s pass just before.
Referee Nika Amashukeli ruled that it wasn’t deliberate by Nowell but Hastoy had been offside so Leinster kicked into the left corner. Opportunity knocked but La Rochelle skipper Grégory Alldritt made a brilliant turnover as the Leinster maul formed.
La Rochelle won their second scrum penalty of the afternoon just before half time, although loosehead Reda Wardi joined Atonio in being forced off injured, but they couldn’t take advantage of another visit to the Leinster 22 as Boudehent’s poor delivery off the lineout was knocked on by Alldritt.
Leading 10-6, Leinster knew the home side would come out swinging in the second half although La Rochelle replacement tighthead Georges-Henri Colombe allowed his frustration to spill over when he ripped Doris’ headguard off during a schemozzle, giving up a needless penalty.
Indeed, La Rochelle’s indisciplined start to the second 40 meant Leinster quickly had a visit into the home 22 but Ringrose was choked tackled for a turnover.
With Rabah Slimani and RG Snyman sent on, Leinster turned the tide at scrum time for a big 50th-minute surge for penalty advantage before Alldritt’s breakdown infringement gave Prendergast a more central position from which to kick Leinster into a 13-6 lead.
The scoreline ticked up to 16-6 in the 55th minute after Jules Favre played the ball on the ground after tackling Ringrose. The pressure initially came from a sloppy Judicaël Cancoriet knock-on. From 42 metres out deafening boos ringing out, Prendergast held his nerve.
La Rochelle should have quickly chipped back at the Leinster advantage when their scrum won a midfield penalty but Hastoy’s effort struck the post.
Yet replacement Leinster back row Jack Conan knocked the ball on as it rebounded so further pressure ensued. Cullen’s men were caught offside in defence and from 15 metres out, straight in front, Hastoy kicked his third successful penalty.
Heading into the final quarter, Leinster had a seven-point lead at 16-9 as the coaching staff went to their bench again and made a backline rejig that had Ringrose on the right wing, from where he landed a huge tackle that Hastoy took some time to get up from. The out-half never seemed to fully recover from it.
Yet La Rochelle weren’t ready to lie down in what was an increasingly scrappy encounter as subs like Levani Botia and Ultan Dillane began to impact.
Osborne kicked too long down the left and saw the ball run dead for a scrum back on the Leinster 10-metre line, from where La Rochelle launched a brilliant try-scoring thrust.
Leinster managed their initial efforts but Hastoy then fired an excellent cross-field kick to left wing Dillyn Leyds who caught and smoothly nudged a delicate grubber past Leinster sub fullback Ciarán Frawley before calmly regathering and dotting down. It was a stunning finish.
But Hastoy’s conversion attempt was wide and Leinster should have given themselves more breathing room when Kerr-Barlow pushed Gibson-Park off the ball, only for replacement out-half Ross Byrne to surprisingly miss a centrally-positioned penalty.
La Rochelle seemed to be emboldened as they broke from deep but Hastoy’s two kicks out on the full in quick succession burst their momentum.
Barrett, by now playing at inside centre, missed with a long-range penalty attempt as the game ticked into the closing minutes and La Rochelle came back for one last big effort to save the game.
It was the 79th minute when Porter was pinged for not releasing in the tackle, handing Hastoy a late, late chance off the tee from just inside his own half and right in the middle of the pitch.
There was an anxious delay for Hastoy as Amashukeli assessed a possible high tackle by Doris – it was legal – before the referee marched him a half metre back after he had placed the ball. His effort felt short and came off the right post but with 30 seconds left, Leinster managed to get turned over as van der Flier was held up in a choke tackle led by Botia.
It meant one final La Rochelle scrum around 10 metres out but it wasn’t to be Hastoy or La Rochelle’s night.
La Rochelle scorers:
Tries: Dillyn Leyds
Conversions: Antoine Hastoy [0 from 1]
Penalties: Antoine Hastoy [3 from 5]
Leinster scorers:
Tries: Joe McCarthy
Conversions: Sam Prendergast [1 from 1]
Penalties: Sam Prendergast [3 from 3], Jordie Barrett [0 from 1]
STADE ROCHELAIS: Brice Dulin (Hoani Bosmorin); Jack Nowell, Ulupano Seuteni, Jules Favre (Levani Botia ’56), Dillyn Leyds; Antoine Hastoy, Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Reda Wardi (Alexandre Kaddouri ’39), Quentin Lespiaucq, Uini Atonio (Georges-Henri Colombe ’33); Thomas Lavault (Judicaël Cancoriet ’47 (Matthias Haddad ’64 (Kane Douglas ’80)), Kane Douglas (Ultan Dillane ’44); Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jegou, Grégory Alldritt (captain).
Replacement not used: Nikoloz Sutidze
LEINSTER: Jordie Barrett; Jimmy O’Brien (Ciarán Frawley ’61), Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jamie Osborne; Sam Prendergast (Ross Byrne ’61), Jamison Gibson-Park (Luke McGrath ’71); Cian Healy (Andrew Porter ’20), Rónan Kelleher (Gus McCarthy ’73), Tadhg Furlong (Rabah Slimani ’47); Joe McCarthy (RG Snyman ’47), James Ryan; Ryan Baird (Jack Conan ’47), Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (captain).
Referee: Nika Amashukeli [Georgia].
- This article was updated at 7.00pm to correct an error regarding the penalty against La Rochelle after Jack Nowell’s knock-on.
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Champions Cup la rochelle Leinster Nail-Biter Report Stade Marcel Deflandre victoire