IT’S BECOME THE most fascinating rivalry in the Champions Cup and this weekend Leinster and La Rochelle will do it all again at Aviva Stadium.
So far, La Rochelle have won the ones that really count, beating Leinster in the 2021 semi-finals before claiming dramatic wins in both the 2022 and 2023 finals. Leinster do have a pool stage win in France to their name from earlier this season, but that won’t count for anything if they don’t double up and knock Ronan O’Gara’s men out of the competition this weekend.
As the games have come and gone, the edge around the rivalry has grown – be it the off-field drama that marked last year’s decider in Dublin or the on-field scuffles which broke out at the Stade Marcel Deflandre in December.
Having last won this trophy in 2018 Leinster are desperate to finally get over the line again this year, and it’s no secret that dumping La Rochelle out along the way would make it all the sweeter, with the pain of the last two finals very much on Leinster minds.
“You try not to look at it that way but there’s definitely a bit more of… an edge is probably the wrong word, but there’s definitely a bit more to it because they’ve denied us the opportunity to win a couple of trophies,” says flanker Josh van der Flier.
“But they’ve been fully deserving. They obviously were the best team last year and the year before because they won it.
“They’ve set the standard that way so it’s exactly the way you’d want it. I was thinking back, if you are to win a tournament you always want to have played the best teams and be able to have beaten the best teams, so that’s the challenge this week.
“It’s great in that way and I think that’s the mentality with the rest of the lads as well. Everyone’s really excited and looking forward to the challenge.
“There is definitely a rivalry there because of the history, and I suppose if you go back far enough, probably every team we have played, there is definitely a rivalry there. It’s hugely exciting.
We have nothing to lose, neither team has anything to lose, there is everything to gain because no one has a hand on the trophy yet. You very much have to go and earn it, so that’s our attitude. It’s a good position to be in.”
Bar the 2021 semi-final, where La Rochelle were 11-point winners at the Stade Marcel Deflandre, there has been little to separate these times on the scoreboard.
Arthur Retière’s late converted try saw the French side claim a dramatic three-point win in 2022, before O’Gara’s charges came from 17-0 down to win by a point at Aviva Stadium. Back in December, Ciarán Frawley sunk a long-range penalty with the last kick of the game as Leinster won 16-9 to finally get one over on La Rochelle.
“They obviously wouldn’t be where they are if they weren’t a brilliant team, and very well coached, but I think from a personal point of view, any time we have done reviews of those games, it has always been… because they are such tight games, and obviously there are mistakes on either side, but you are kinda like ‘If we didn’t give that penalty away, if we just caught that ball, if we got that kick right.’
You can probably look back to a load of moments that if any of those were right, certainly in the two finals when they were so close, if any of those are right, that could potentially be the difference.
“I suppose a huge amount of prep goes into it but at the end of the day, it’s also up to individuals as well to get their role right. I suppose they have done it better the last three times we have played in knockouts. That’s probably why [they've won]. It’s not a coincidence that they have done so well, they have been consistent over a few years.”
Some Leinster players will keep those final defeats at the forefront of their minds throughout the week, while others prefer to just focus on the here and now, with the mental preparation an important part of the pre-game work.
“It kinda comes down to individuals really,” Van der Flier says.
“I suppose some lads like to get real psyched up and have that bit of aggression, and some lads like to be more calm. I’d probably try to be on more of the calmer side of things.
“So, definitely use it [the defeats] as motivation to get my head right but in terms of playing on the field, it’s still pretty much just trying to do my job and perform as well as I can.
“Some lads are definitely easy going, like Devin Toner would be the most chilled out man before a game and some lads need something to be aggressive at because obviously it’s a physical game.
“We have Deccy, Declan Darcy with us and he helps out a good bit with that mental skills bit, obviously we have Gary Keegan [with Ireland], that’s probably where a lot of that comes in.
“It’s not letting that get to your head because it’s easy for it to happen. It’s only human if you make a mistake and something goes wrong, you look back on who it was against or whatever.
“I think from our point of view, and certainly the attitude in the meetings that we have had today, it wouldn’t seem that that’s the case. I think everyone is pretty excited and it doesn’t feel like there is a big burden on people’s shoulders either. We are just pretty excited about the opportunity.”
