AFP / PAUL FAITH / AFP / PAUL FAITH
Double reigning champion, Stade Rochelais was slapped this Saturday by Leinster (40-13) at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, in the quarter-final of the Champions Cup. Find the bests and flops of the meeting.
TOPS
The Jamison Gibson-Park Metronome
What a game from the Leinster scrum-half. The Irishman sees everything and does everything right. Always in good shape, the 32-year-old player splashed this meeting with his talent. Gibson-Park perfectly energizes his team’s play, as evidenced by his 72 passes made throughout the match, and seems perfectly to be the heir to Jonathan Sexton as leader of his team. The XV du Trèfle scrum half also took part in his team’s offensive festival, scoring the second try of the match in the 37th minute of play thanks to a magnificent combination with his compatriot James Lowe. A (very) high class match.
Read alsoChampions Cup: end of reign for La Rochelle, swept away in the quarter-finals by Leinster
James Lowe was untenable
The other great architect of Leinster’s success. The Irishman, untenable, was a constant poison for Stade Rochelais this Saturday. The 31-year-old played a major part in the Irish demonstration of the day, with a double (16th, 60th). Very lively and impactful on his wing (54 meters covered with ball in hand), the Leinsterman was very inspired and always knew how to bring danger to the maritime goal line.
Leinster, king of rucks
One of the areas which was decisive in Leinster’s victory: the ruck zones. The Rochelais were unable to do anything against the Irish power and aggressiveness. The Dubliners recovered countless balls and (largely) won the ground battle, penalizing the Maritimes almost every time. The captain of La Rochelle and the XV of France, Grégory Alldritt, was notably powerless in this key sector.
The Levani Botia bulldozer
The only Rochelais to retain his rank from this meeting. Huge game from the Maritime third line. Even in pain, the Fijian showed his physical power to finish the match with no less than 15 tackles on the clock. And not least. Monstrous. A beast.
FLOPS
La Rochelle indiscipline
La Rochelle was sanctioned far too many times this Saturday to be able to win against Leinster. Ronan O’Gara’s players were penalized… 12 times. It’s far too much to be able to win in Dublin against an Irish machine so cold in efficiency and precision.
Read alsoChampions Cup: in video, the summary of the correction inflicted by Leinster on La Rochelle
Stade Rochelais dethroned… and KO standing
La Rochelle fell from high, very high. And the fall hurts. The Yellow and Black, double reigning European champions, already a finalist three years ago, lost their crown this Saturday in Dublin, against their best enemy. Leinster, beaten in the last two Champions Cup finals by these same Maritimes, finally eliminated their beast nemesis in a decisive match and in a very clear manner. This is the first time this season that the Rochelais have conceded 40 points, the first time in their history in the European Cup. A defeat which hurts and which symbolizes this more than average season for the Yellow and Black who constantly alternate between the good and the less good. As if the defeat was not enough in itself, Ronan O’Gara’s team also leaves Dublin with damage. Tawera Kerr-Barlow was taken off on a stretcher in the first half and looked totally dazed. La Rochelle captain Grégory Alldritt was also injured in the ankle and limped on numerous occasions. A bad afternoon and a setback that will leave its mark on the Maritimes.