After a trilogy of heartbreaking defeats, Leinster got their first win over La Rochelle on Sunday. It was a true heavyweight clash as both sides slugged it out in the pouring rain at the Stade Marcel Deflandre. They have been the two best teams in this competition for the last two seasons and on Saturday's evidence, perhaps this season as well.
Outstanding Performances across the board for Leinster
Stand out performances on the Leinster side came from their forward pack in particular who battled bravely in the face of La Rochelle's raw power. Despite being part of an early pair of yellow cards, young Joe McCarthy was immense alongside James Ryan in the second row. Ryan Baird and Will Connors were inspired selections at 6 and 7, with Baird's relentless appetite for work and Connors' chop tackling didn't allow La Rochelle to enter the kind of groove they would expect to.
Leinster's defence under Nienaber still has a looong way to go, but you can already see the players making very different decisions to what they would have last May.
Huge line speed even when numbers down, pivotal tackle from Jimmy O'Brien on Danty.#SRvLEI pic.twitter.com/GTXVFbq1l1— EK Rugby Analysis (@ek_rugby) December 11, 2023
Robbie Henshaw was outstanding as a ball carrier and in defence. Hugo Keenan made an incredibly difficult job look very simple in the most tumultuous of weather conditions as he commanded the skies. While Ciaran Frawley's vital three pointer on the stroke of half time and inspired second half, culminating in that monster penalty goal to seal it, was mightily impressive.
Miss this monster kick and La Rochelle have one last chance to win it.
Step forward Ciarán Frawley 🤯pic.twitter.com/UusIVzt8kB— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) December 10, 2023
Ronan O'Gara spoke with French media after the match and reserved the vast majority of his praise for Leinster scrum half Jamison Gibson Park: (note these are translated quotes)
It's interesting for us because in the final phase the conditions are not like today. It's not an excuse, but I think my team likes to play when the ball is dry. But we also need to have a game plan for winter. Gibson-Park controlled the match well and kept us under pressure with his kicking game.
The La Rochelle head coach watched on from a coaches' box after he received a sideline ban for his conduct in the Top 14 in recent weeks. ROG showed barely any emotion as the TV cameras panned to him, time and time again. It was a game that could have gone either way. While his team may hold a legitimate gripe with the officiating crew for missing James Ryan's interference at an attacking line out on the Leinster 5 metre line with just over 10 minutes left in the contest, they could have won it handily despite the refereeing.
Huge, huge moment in the game. Leinster have a supervillain shaped hole in their team after Sexton’s departure. But if James Ryan starts to get away with things like this on the regular, he’s well on course to fill that void. pic.twitter.com/JecaiH5w7L
— The 5 Metre Channel (@FMC_Rugby) December 11, 2023
"We don't capitalise"-Ronan O'Gara on La Rochelle performance
They turned down shots at goal on multiple occasions in favour of the corner, only to then elect for one of the tougher shots, which Hastoy struck poorly as it drifted wide to the right. O'Gara commented on the enormity of the contest and stated that this particular Leinster performance was driven on by their heartbreaking defeats to La Rochelle in the recent past. When asked 'was this your best performance of the season so far?', he said:
I have no idea.. Leinster have pride, and we won the last three games against them. They said: “We’re done, we’re tired of this!” They are the ones who win today, but it creates conditions for the next time, if there is a next time.
The former Munster fly half was gracious in defeat but highlighted the opportunities his side had to win the game:
It was a fairly close match, but with a lot of inaccuracy on our part. We are disappointed, but the best team won. I have to say congratulations to Leinster. We had opportunities to win, but that's the high level.
There are some good lessons to learn from our performance tonight, but maybe it will help us for the future... These are mistakes which are costly at this level, and this was the case today. I am able to note five actions where we are less than five meters from the Leinster goal. But we don't capitalize.
Now it's Leinster who leaves with a good victory. La Rochelle against Leinster, I believe there is a new classic in European rugby.
Looking ahead to next weekend O'Gara and his squad travel to polar opposite conditions from Sunday afternoon's biblical scenes in the South of France as they head to the Western Cape to take on the Stormers with O'Gara citing the need for a heavy review. Interestingly ROG thought it was Leinster who would wilt in those final 10 minutes.
After the very good start to our second half, I thought it was Leinster who were going to collapse, but it was us who collapsed after 71 minutes. Perhaps we need to look at why we are kicking, why we are not taking the three points. But that is always a discussion with the leaders.
I always said when I was 10 that we had to respect the instincts of the players on the pitch. But tonight, it didn't work too well. That's how sport is, we have to accept and refocus on something else.
