We take the same ones and start again, but not in the same place. And that makes a huge difference. La Rochelle will try to retain their Champions Cup title acquired last year against Leinster (24-21). At the time, a try at the very end of the match by Arthur Retière gave the Maritimes their first European trophy in a Vélodrome stadium in Marseille which had been acquired from them. But this Saturday, it is in Dublin, on the lands of the Leinstermen, that Grégory Alldritt and his men will try to make an encore.
Retière is no longer there, gone to join Stade Toulousain corrected in the half at the Aviva Stadium (41-22), where the Irish province was able to play all its final phase matches because of its status as first in the regular phase . The opponent is unmistakably similar to the XV of the current World No. 1 Clover, who beat the Blues (32-19) in the same place during the last VI Nations Tournament. If the strategist Johnny Sexton is still injured, the opener Ross Byrne replaces him very well, and Leinster starts as favorites for a fifth coronation, which would allow them to equal Toulouse.
“Because a match like that, we can’t miss it, we meet at 5:30 p.m.