Here is the match report from Gerry Thornley:
That’s all from me, good night!
Caelan Doris on Premier Sports: “Massive test coming here. We’ve had a few great battles with them over the years, we have great respect. We know what they’re capable of, very physical team. You got to front up physically if you want to win over here. I thought we did that very well indeed. Pleased with the result.”
80 mins: All on this play then. From 10 seconds to go, Alldritt picks and goes. Van der Flier blocks down the drop goal! Still in La Rochelle’s hands.
A minute and a half over time now, Leinster can’t afford to give away a penalty.
La Rochelle go wide to Leyds and they get up to the 22, good defending by Leinster but can they hang on?
Forward pass by La Rochelle, game over! Leinster win!
Full-time: La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
80 mins: La Rochelle elect to go for the penalty, Hastoy to likely win the game. It’s interrupted as there is a TMO check for a tackle by Doris. Referee says it’s not a card.
So we go again. Hastoy tees it up... he hits the post! But it comes off the post and La Rochelle chase it and La Rochelle get a scrum.
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
78 mins: Leinster hanging on, poor up and under by Leinster from the restart and Luke McGrath scrambles into touch. The lineout is clean and the maul is good, released to the backline. Hastoy kicks in behind, Osborne clears it a good distance. McGrath gives away a penalty on the halfway line...
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
76 mins: Penalty to Leinster, big counter ruck that La Rochelle couldn’t deal with. Jordie Barrett to take this long one from near the sideline, but he misses the penalty! Well wide to the left.
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
72 mins: La Rochelle turn over after the Leinster lineout, but then Hastoy kicks out on the full. An exciting finish to this ahead.
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
70 mins: Penalty missed by Leinster! Ross Byrne off the bench pulls his kick and that’s a costly one.
Leinster have a good passage of play and Osborne kicks in behind, dealt with by Leyds who coolly passes rather than touch down and it’s 22-metre lineout for Leinster.
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
66 mins: Cancoriet limps off for La Rochelle, Haddad on, it’s been a tough game with injuries for them. A good scrum though and they play to the wing, Leyds is well tackled by Henshaw.
Try for La Rochelle! Oh that’s a special one. Hastoy pulls off a perfect kick onto the far wing, expertly judged, then Leyds catches, little grubber kick, waits on the bounce and touches down. Hastoy misses the conversion, that could be costly but it will be a tight finish.
La Rochelle 14 Leinster 16
63 mins: One try in it, La Rochelle have scored a few late tries against Leinster before.. but Doris picks the pocket of La Rochelle for some breathing space until Osborne kicks it out the end line.
La Rochelle 9 Leinster 16
60 mins: A good chance for La Rochelle, Leinster hang on but James Ryan is offside and yet another penalty. Penalty scored by La Rochelle! Hastoy scores this time.
La Rochelle 9 Leinster 16
56 mins: Penalty missed by La Rochelle. Leinster concede a scrum penalty and Hastoy miscues it but Leinster knock on afterwards and La Rochelle get another chance. This time a scrum.
55 mins: A few errors creeping in for La Rochelle as Dulin drops the ball and the crowd becomes quiet. Free kick from the scrum for Leinster and Prendergast kicks into the air. It falls to van der Flier and Leinster are 10 metres away. They’re pushed way back to the 22 with full gusto but concede a penalty in doing so. Leinster go for the posts and
Penalty scored by Leinster! Prendergast converts with a nice kick. Two score game.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 16
50 mins: Penalty scored by Leinster! Prendergast scores as Slimani makes an immediate impact winning a scrum penalty.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 13
47 mins: A scrappy passage from Leinster as they are quite predictable with their back play and are turned over. Leinster changes - Conan, Slimani and Snyman are on.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
44 mins: Second half under way. Barrett kicks into no-man’s land and Dulin knocks the ball forward to give Leinster an early scrum. Leinster apply pressure. A few minutes later, a bit of argy bargy after Leinster turn over as Georges-Henri Colombe comes in and pulls the scrum-cap off Doris.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
40 mins: Reda Wardi the second La Rochelle prop to go off injured. A poor lineout though by the French side, Alldritt didn’t time it well to collect and it’s a knock on. Prendergast kicks it out and it’s half-time
Half-time: La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
Leinster will be happy with the scoreline there after dealing with significant La Rochelle pressure for most of the half. Very much all to play for in the second half here, the two teams have been very evenly matched. La Rochelle have been lively and energetic and are sure to have more in the tank.
38 mins: Replacement Colombe knocks the ball on and it’s a scrum for Leinster in a good area. Leinster give away a penalty from it though and Hastoy has a big kick to put La Rochelle in with a lineout on the other end.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
35 mins: Try disallowed for La Rochelle. Wow, after a great period of Leinster pressure, Prendergast pass is blocked down and Hastoy runs the length of the pitch to score. But that will be one for the TMO.
No try, ball went forward and Hastoy was offside says Georgian referee Nika Amshukeli. Now Prendergast kicks into touch deep into La Rochelle territory. Another long lineout but this time it’s turned over by La Rochelle.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
33 mins: Leinster’s try was somewhat against the run of play but seems to have woken them up and playing front-foot rugby now. La Rochelle under the cosh as Atonio goes off injured.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
30 mins: Try for Leinster! Over the top ball on the lineout, Baird does well to get it to Osborne who shows superb handling to lay off to Joe McCarthy to run in uncontested. Then Prendergast converts. Their first real chance of a try and they score.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 10
29 mins: Ryan Baird makes a great break and gives Leinster their first solid attack in a long time but then Gibson-Park miscues a kick to Osborne on the wing straight out of play.
Prendergast is blocked down for the second time in the game but a high tackle by Lespiaucq on Henshaw gives Leinster a penalty and the outhalf kicks to touch.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 3
26 mins: Penalty scored by La Rochelle! Finally the pressure is too much and Leinster infringe and Hastoy converts a fairly easy kick.
La Rochelle 6 Leinster 3
25 mins: Dulin kicks to the corner and almost finds Leyds, pinning Leinster into near their line again and again. Better lineout this time as Gibson-Park clears to touch.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
23 mins: Dulin has been lively so far and almost gets a 50-22. A break as Atonio receives treatment for La Rochelle.
Leinster lose the defensive lineout and La Rochelle play it quickly wide but Leinster safely turn it over again, Osborne clears.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
20 mins: They go for a lineout this time. Well collected and then a ruck to a few metres away. Van der Flier getting in some strong tackles. And they force La Rochelle back several metres. And then Gibson-Park turns over the ball! Great defending.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
18 mins: A five-metre scrum then, but it’s scrappy and they don’t get clean ball. But it’s a penalty against Leinster for the scrum collapsing and La Rochelle choose another scrum.
Leinster holding them up after several phases but Leinster infringe again and another penalty. Big La Rochelle pressure.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
14 mins: A scare for Prendergast as he takes too long over a kick and is charged down from the restart. La Rochelle up to the 22. Nice little grubber kick towards the line and they’re forced over their own line.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
11 mins: Penalty scored by Leinster. They win a penalty just inside halfway. Prendergast opts for the posts and it’s nicely kicked straight over.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 3
8 mins: La Rochelle captain Alldritt turns over the ball, it’s been a good start by the French side. La Rochell make great ground and heading for the posts but Leinster get the turnover with some gritty defending, Good atmosphere at the Stade Marcel Deflandre.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 0
4 mins: Penalty scored by La Rochelle! Penalty after Leinster were offside. Antoine Hastoy takes an impressive kick from just past halfway. Early lead for the hosts.
La Rochelle 3 Leinster 0
2 mins: The game is under way and it’s a good start by Leinster with Barrett taking a good restart. Good territory by Leinster early but La Rochelle clear the ball and Jimmy O’Brien can’t keep his foot in play.
La Rochelle 0 Leinster 0
In rugby’s evolution in the professional era, it’s hard to remember a time when there was so much value placed on creative players as there is now, those who can transcend systems and play with a predator’s instincts, writes Gordon D’Arcy. And he writes that Sam Prengergast can be that creative fulcrum for Leinster.
[ Sam Prendergast’s next task is to make Leinster less predictableOpens in new window ]
One from last week on Leinster and the impact of Jacques Nienaber from Nathan Johns. He asks are we seeing the Springbok-ification of Leinster? He writes Leinster’s focus on defence, set-pieces, and their kicking game has left them looking remarkably similar to South Africa. That will be put to the test today against La Rochelle.
[ Are Leinster becoming more like the Springboks?Opens in new window ]
Other favourites for the competition Bordeaux Begles and Toulouse both won yesterday, while there was a victory for Munster and a defeat for Ulster. Read about the Champions Cup here:
[ Champions Cup wrap: Bordeaux Bègles and Toulouse maintain winning recordsOpens in new window ]
Gerry Thornley also has a profile of Ronan O’Gara and how it’s going for him at the moment over in France. He writes that the Cork coach and his club have become, to a degree, victims of their success.
Will Skelton this week told The Irish Times about his genuine gratitude for “being coached by a guy like Rog, whom I grew up watching, and guys like Donnacha Ryan [forwards coach]. We have Sean Dougall [contact skills coach], Romain Carmignani [forwards and defence coach], Seb Boboul [attack coach] and Kevin Gourdon [technical analysis] – guys who have played for the club and know the history of the club.
“Then we have players like Greg Alldritt and Uini Atonio. Every day is a day I love going to work. I love playing for this team. It’s a special place.”
Here is Gerry Thornley’s match preview:
“And so finally, it’s upon us. Some matches loom on the horizon way more brightly than most. Ever since the fixtures were announced last July, no matchup has stood out for the respective teams, players and supporters of La Rochelle and Leinster quite like this clash.”
Of Leinster, Thornley says:
“Last season’s deserved double must have exorcised some Leinster demons and they are a defensively steelier side this season. The multiphase attack is still nothing like it was but Prendergast’s emergence has given them another dimension, albeit this is another test of his so-far impressive composure.”
[ Leinster v La Rochelle: New arrivals add spice to a rivalry like no otherOpens in new window ]
Hello and welcome to live coverage of La Rochelle against Leinster at Stade Marcel Deflandre in the third round of the Champions Cup pool stages. Kick-off in France is at 3.15pm.
This is a tie that does not need much introduction, it is the biggest Champions Cup rivalry in modern times. La Rochelle denied Leinster three times in a row in the competition’s latter stages, in a semi-final and in two tight finals, but Leinster got their revenge last year by beating Ronan O’Gara’s side twice. There are a few absences, Will Skelton misses out for La Rochelle, as does Jonathan Danty and Teddy Thomas. Leinster had planned to leave Jordie Barrett in reserve but a late injury to Tommy O’Brien means he starts at fullback with Hugo Keenan out, while Tadhg Furlong returns to the frontrow after some time out.
Stade Rochelais: Brice Dulin, Jack Nowell, UJ Seuteni, Jules Favre, Dillyn Leyds; Antoine Hastoy, Tawera Kerr-Barlow; Reda Wardi, Quentin Lespiaucq, Uini Atonio, Thomas Lavault, Kane Douglas, Paul Boudehent, Oscar Jegou, Grégory Alldritt (capt).
Replacements: Nikoloz Sutidze, Alexandre Kaddouri, Georges-Henri Colombe, Ultan Dillane, Levani Botia, Judicael Cancoriet, Matthias Haddad, Hoani Bosmorin.
Leinster: Jordie Barrett; Jamie Osborne, Garry Ringrose, Robbie Henshaw, Jimmy O’Brien; Sam Prendergast, Jamison Gibson-Park; Cian Healy, Ronan Kelleher, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, James Ryan, Ryan Baird, Josh van der Flier, Caelan Doris (capt).
Replacements: Gus McCarthy, Andrew Porter, Rabah Slimani, RG Snyman, Jack Conan, Luke McGrath, Ross Byrne, Ciarán Frawley.
Referee: Nika Amashukeli (Geo)
