Leinster battle to win at La Rochelle in Champions Cup final rematch

Ryan Baird was a standout performer in dreadful conditions as Leinster won at La Rochelle

Leinster beat defending champions La Rochelle at the fourth time of asking, battling to a 16-9 away Champions Cup win in dreadful conditions.

Played in heavy and persistent rain at the Stade Marcel-Deflandre, Leinster arrived to face La Rochelle as underdogs, with the hosts having clinched European Cup titles in the last two seasons, beating Leinster in finals on both occasions.

In addition to this 2022 and 2023 triumphs in finals, La Rochelle also knocked Leinster out at the semi-final stage in 2021.

An extremely tight clash on Sunday never saw either side more than a score ahead, with Leinster wing Jordan Larmour scoring the game’s only try in the first half, when either side had a man in the sin-bin due to an off-the-ball scuffle – La Rochelle centre Jonathan Danty and Leinster lock Joe McCarthy.

Leinster wing Jordan Larmour scored the game’s only try in France

La Rochelle found themselves 10-6 behind at the half-time break, as Antoine Hastoy (two) and Harry Byrne traded penalties outside of Larmour’s try, and openside flanker Levani Botia saw a try ruled out for a double-movement.

The French side proceeded to dominate much of the play, turning down a wealth of penalties in favour of kicks to the corner, but a combination of outstanding Leinster lineout defence and poor La Rochelle execution, kept the hosts out time and again.

La Rochelle’s Levani Botia had a first-half try ruled out

Leinster grew in confidence and belief as the end drew closer, with replacement Ciaran Frawley kicking a penalty on the hour mark to stretch the lead back to four points.

Try as they might, Ronan O’Gara’s La Rochelle continued to fall short in the Leinster 22, and when the visitors were awarded a penalty on their own 10-metre line in the closing minute, they called for the kicking tee to close out the clock as much as anything else.

La Rochelle head coach Ronan O’Gara could only watch on due to a suspension

In any case, Frawley stepped up to drain over the 60-metre kick via a magnificent strike, securing a seven-point win for Leinster.

During a weekend in which Connacht and Ulster were heavily beaten in Europe by Bordeax-Begles and Bath respectively, and Munster were held to a disappointing draw at home to French minnows Bayonne, Leinster produced a Pool 4 result of huge positives.