Champions Cup – La Rochelle loses narrowly after a great match against Leinster (14-16)

La Rochelle concedes a cruel defeat at the end of the suspense against Leinster! In a stifling match, the Maritimes shook up the Irish, still undefeated this season, and pushed until the end to make the difference. But Antoine Hastoy’s misses at the end of the match were costly, and the Rochelais ultimately had to lose by two small points, 14-16. The benchmark victory held out their arms to them, it was a frustrating defeat that they received instead.

The new classic of European rugby offered a thrilling new chapter to Marcel-Deflandre, a setting worthy of the event with a 101st match in a row sold out. The Rochelais, looking for a benchmark match to launch an ambitious second part of the season, hosted their best enemies, Leinster and its host of Irish internationals whom the Maritimes had defeated in the final to win their two European titles, in 2022 and 2023.

The Rochelais, with the wind at their backs in the first half, started this match perfectly, to impose a big challenge in the 22 meters of Leinster. But the Irish planted an impassable line in the face of opposing attacks, and we had to resign ourselves to taking the points with Hastoy, so as not to return empty-handed. This effort was then paid dearly by La Rochelle, looking for a second wind after half an hour of play and punished by a nice combination taking Joe McCarthy to the test (6-10, 30th).

The tension rose again after returning from the locker room. The Rochelais, who lost their two pillars Uini Atonio (knee) and Réda Wardi (ribs) before the break, suffered the power of the opposing pack, where the entry of Rabah Slimani caused damage, and offered ammunition to Sam Prendergast who gave his team a 10-point lead. Courageous, the Rochelais finally managed to break the Irish lock with a double luminous inspiration, when Hastoy reversed the game for Dillyn Leyds on the wing, who extended for himself and flattened the left side (14-16, 66th ).

Victory and Leinster were then within striking distance. But Hastoy, exhausted, missed the conversion to equalize, then a 50-meter penalty just before the siren and a drop on the 22 just after, to snatch the victory. The ball remained in La Rochelle, but Leinster found its titanic defense to force the waves back, and push Hastoy, unhappy until the end, into a final cruel forward. La Rochelle almost achieved a prestigious victory and regained confidence this Sunday. We will have to be content with a good fight fought, and an improved defeat.