La Rochelle was eliminated from one point by the Munster (24-25) at home in the round of 16 of the Champions Cup. The Maritimes now have only the Top 14 to afford a beautiful spring.
Two double winners of the Champions Cup clashed this Saturday in the round of 16 for the first time in the official match. A big team was necessarily going to fall, and it is La Rochelle. The Maritimes, tenths of the Top 14, bowed 24-25 against the Munster, fifth of the United Rugby Championship, in a necessarily special match for their coach Ronan O’Gara, former legend of the Irish club. We had been playing for 50 seconds when La Rochelle thought it had opened the scoring by Tawera Kerr-Barlow, but Teddy Thomas had set foot just before.
And it is finally in the 10th minute, just after Andew Smith received a yellow card for a fault in a ruck, that the Rochelais found the opening, by Levani Botia near the right post, after a touch and a ball worn (7-0). But La Rochelle then found itself 14 for ten minutes after the cardboard inflicted on Ihaia West for a fault on Sean O’Brien. And Munster immediately took the opportunity to mark his first try, by Craig Casey, served by a Thaakir Abrahams on the legs of fire (7-7). No point was then registered for almost twenty minutes, before West succeeded in the penalty which allows the Rochelais to lead 10-7 at the break.
Regrets for La Rochelle
But the first eleven minutes of the second half proved to be fatal for the Maritimes. Jack Crowley first equalized on penalty, then in the 48th, West was countering when he was trying a long kick, Gavin Coombs arose and scored (10-17). Then La Rochelle was still at 14, Dillyn Leyds receiving a yellow card for a voluntary in front. And on the following action, Andrew Smith scored following a touch and a balloon (10-22). But the Rochelais kept hope, and were rewarded at the 65th by obtaining a penalty test (and a yellow card for the Irishman Craig Casey) on a worn ball (17-22). The Munster, however, managed to widen the gap on a Drop from Jack Crowley (17-25).
But La Rochelle came back thanks to a test by Hoani Bosmorin, beautifully found at the foot in the left corner by Antoine Hastoy, who transformed (24-25). There were then four minutes left to play, but the Maritimes did not manage to spin in the end, ending the match with a lot of regrets. It is therefore the Munster which will move to Bordeaux-Bègles or to its neighbors in Ulster in the quarterfinals next weekend. La Rochelle has only the top 14 to dream of a great end of the season, but with four points behind the top 6, the yellow and black are far from being assured of seeing the final phase.
