Les Rochelais made a historic comeback to make up for a terrible start to the match and win their second European title on Saturday in Dublin.
Eighty minutes of madness for a title that will be remembered. Reigning European champions, Stade Rochelais overthrew Leinster (27-26) to win their second Champions Cup in a row, on Saturday May 20, at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
Led by 17 points after a catastrophic start and three tries conceded in twelve minutes, the Maritimes showed a mad abnegation to nibble their delay. They managed to regain control of the match thanks to Georges Henri Colombe’s saving try in the 72nd minute, then did not give in despite an unbreathable end to the match.
Unsinkable Rochelais
They had the merit of believing in it and playing until the end. Led almost the entire meeting, the Rochelais did not give up to retain their title. In a scenario almost a carbon copy of the 2022 final, already against Leinster, they went for the coronation test in the last ten minutes. After a long streak of shelling and a multiplication of advantages, the prop Georges Henri Colombe came to pierce the Irish defense and free an entire team.
In the lead for the first time in the game, the Maritimes then physically and nervously resisted a very tense end to the game, marked by two yellow cards and a red card for the Leinstermen, for a foul on the hero of the evening Colombe.
A mental strength that they demonstrated for more than an hour, to gradually catch up. The last decisive test also came after more than twenty minutes of construction and pressure in the 22 of a Leinster who did not offer much after the first quarter of an hour.
Erase the catastrophic lead
However, success was far from certain for Ronan O’Gara’s men, who lost after missing their start. From the first dismissal, they had been had on an Irish touch and Dan Sheehan had pierced the defense to go flatten in a corner.
Stunned, they had suffered the game of Leinster, who had doubled the bet five minutes later (6th), then scored a third try in numerical superiority (12th). On three excellent game launches, the Leinstermen had made the difference and had gone into orbit.
Stunned, overwhelmed, the Rochelais had not sunk. The ghost Jonathan Danty, forfeited in the semi-final against Exeter, had first launched the revolt by opening the counter for the Maritimes (20th), before Seuteni also went there with his achievement to return almost within reach. converted try just before the break (39th).
Building on what they knew how to do, thanks to hardworking forwards and explosive backs, they gradually rolled out their game, and gave themselves the chance to come back to sign a new feat.
Thanks to this victory, the Maritimes become the second French team to retain their title at the highest European level, after Toulon between 2013 and 2015. With this second rank crown, and a total success in the Champions Cup finals, they sit a little plus their costume as the new stronghold of European rugby.