Good afternoon and welcome to what promises to be an absolutely unmissable Champions Cup final — Leinster, bidding for a record-equalling fifth win in the competition, come face-to-face once again with the team that have denied them in the last two seasons, La Rochelle.
And, of course, their coach: Ronan O’Gara.
Dublin’s Aviva Stadium is the centre of the rugby universe for the next few hours. If you can’t be there, be here, and you won’t miss a moment.
Kick-off is at 4.45pm.
Leinster welcome back no fewer than 12 internationals to the side which lost last Saturday’s URC semi-final against Munster.
Leo Cullen’s starting XV shows only two changes from last year’s Champions Cup final defeat against today’s opponents: Dan Sheehan and Ross Byrne start in place of Rónan Kelleher and the injured Johnny Sexton.
Leinster
15. Hugo Keenan; 14. Jimmy O’Brien, 13. Garry Ringrose, 12. Robbie Henshaw, 11. James Lowe; 10. Ross Byrne, 9. Jamison Gibson-Park; 1. Andrew Porter, 2. Dan Sheehan, 3. Tadhg Furlong; 4. Ross Molony, 5. James Ryan (captain); 6. Caelan Doris, 7. Josh van der Flier, 8. Jack Conan
Replacements:
16. Rónan Kelleher, 17. Cian Healy, 18. Michael Ala’alatoa, 19. Jason Jenkins, 20. Ryan Baird, 21. Luke McGrath, 22. Ciarán Frawley, 23. Charlie Ngatai
And here’s how La Rochelle line out – with threats all over the park, not to put too fine a point on it.
Jonathan Danty returns in midfield having missed the semi-final win against Exeter through injury, while Ultan Dillane has to be content with a place on the bench, with Paul Boudehent starting in his place.
La Rochelle
15. Brice Dulin; 14. Dillyn Lleyds, 13. UJ Seuteni, 12. Jonathan Danty, 11. Raymond Rhule; 10. Antoine Hastoy, 9. Tawera Kerr-Barlow; 1. Reda Wardi, 2. Pierre Bourgarit, 3. Uini Atonio; 4. Romain Sazy, 5. Will Skelton; 6. Paul Boudehent, 7. Levani Botia, 8. Gregory Alldritt (captain).
Replacements:
16. Quentin Lespiaucq Brettes, 17. Joel Sclavi, 18. Georges Henri Colombe, 19. Thomas Lavault, 20. Remi Bourdeau, 21. Ultan Dillane, 22. Thomas Berjon, 23. Jules Favre.
If you only have time for one more piece of pre-match reading — which you do, unless you’re speed reading — here’s Ciarán Kennedy’s pre-match preview:
As was the case before last year’s decider in Marseille, the La Rochelle group looked far more relaxed in their approach than Leinster, who ran through the early part of their Captain’s Run with a greater level of precision and detail, a day after a nicely spiky training session at UCD.
It’s possible there’s nothing much to read into the different approaches from both sides but over the course of the week, it’s been harder and harder to escape the sense the pressure is all on Leinster ahead of today’s Heineken Champions Cup final.
That’s a lot of Ronan O’Garas…
As the teams emerge out on to the Aviva Stadium pitch to a wall of noise, it’s time to call it:
Will this be Leinster’s five-star day? Or are La Rochelle set to leave Dublin with their European crown proudly intact?
Here we go! Jaco Peyper gets us underway with Leinster kicking deep into La Rochelle territory. Dulin clears into touch.
Leinster 7-0 La Rochelle (Sheehan, 1′)
What a start for Leinster! Dulin’s clearance to touch wasn’t the most convincing and gave Leinster good field position — but it’s a quickly taken lineout that totally scuppers La Rochelle.
Sheehan throws short to Jack Conan at the front, and Sheehan is right there on his shoulder to take the return pass. Forty seconds on the clock and Leinster lead!
Byrne converts and it’s a quick 7-0 advantage for Leo Cullen’s men.
4 mins – Leinster are motoring in these opening few minutes. They shape to go wide but instead, James Lowe guides a laser-like 50/22 into the space where Dulin should be standing. Leinster lineout, a few yards from the La Rochelle line.
5 mins – It just comes apart for Leinster. Porter tries to find Sheehan on the wraparound but it comes off an outstretched La Rochelle hand and goes to ground. Scrum Leinster.
Leinster 12-0 La Rochelle (O’Brien, 6′)
What a start for Leinster! Their scrum is rock solid and they move the ball the width the pitch, where Hugo Keenan finds Jimmy O’Brien who stretches to touch down in the corner.
It leaves a tricky conversion for Byrne, which he can’t convert, but Leinster are absolutely blitzing La Rochelle here. The champions are reeling.
10 mins – Smashing tackle from Hugo Keenan who races out of the line to Boudehent. Leinster pounce and win the turnover penalty!
Yellow card for Kerr-Barlow
As La Rochelle slowly re-set for the penalty, Gibson-Park has other ideas. He takes the penalty quickly and makes a break for it, and Tawera Kerr-Barlow brings him down having failed to retreat 10m.
It’s an easy decision for Jaco Peyper, and Kerr-Barlow heads to the bin.
Leinster 17-0 La Rochelle (Sheehan, 12′)
Ruthless. Absolutely ruthless from Leinster. They punish the 14 men of La Rochelle immediately.
Sheehan holds his width right out on the touchline, and Gibson-Park finds him with a sumptuous floated pass for Sheehan to dive over in the corner.
It leaves another tricky conversion for Byrne, which comes back off the upright, but after 12 minutes, Leinster lead by a remarkable 17-0.
14 mins – Penalty for La Rochelle as Leinster are pinged at the breakdown. After a bit of consultation, La Rochelle kick it inside the Leinster 22.
16 mins – Turnover for Leinster as Conan steals it in the lineout maul… but when it’s passed back to Lowe, he takes his eye off the ball and drops it close to the line. Scrum La Rochelle.
18 mins – After a couple of resets, Aldritt gets the ball at the back of the scrum and tries to force it over the line. He turns the wrong way, but we’re coming back for La Rochelle penalty (against Porter, it seems).
Leinster 17-7 La Rochelle (Danty, 19′)
Is that a try for La Rochelle? It is. Incredible power from Jonathan Danty.
La Rochelle go for a scrum again, and Danty absolutely bulldozes Garry Ringrose before reaching for the line. There’s a question mark over the grounding at first glance, but it’s good – and La Rochelle have finally stemmed the tide.
The conversion is knocked over from in front of posts — and that’s also just about the end of Kerr-Barlow’s sin bin. La Rochelle have got out of that 10-minute period with a 7-7 draw, which in the context of this game so far, is a huge win for them.
23 mins – Penalty for Leinster as Conan makes a big carry into contact, and Bota fails to release.
Leinster 20-7 La Rochelle (Byrne, 24′)
Byrne converts with a minimum of fuss. Up in the coaches’ box, Ronan O’Gara cuts a very frustrated figure with his players gifting Leinster an easy three points.
26 mins – Danty is pinged for offside and Leinster kick it to the 22. Off the back of the maul, La Rochelle reach through to disrupt Gibson-Park, and it’s knocked forward for a La Rochelle scrum. Gibson-Park and Ringrose in particular are incredulous, but Jaco Peyper says the ball was out, and La Rochelle were entitled to compete for it.
29 mins – La Rochelle are trying to run it but they’re under severe pressure in every phase and eventually, as they’re forced back inside their own 22, Hastoy has no option but to try find touch.
30 mins – Leinster’s pressure pays dividends as La Rochelle lose their discipline at the breakdown and are pinged for side entry.
And there’s a bit of afters as well – it’s Will Skelton and Jamison Gibson-Park who are singled out for a word by Peyper, and when play resumes, it will be with that Leinster penalty.
30 mins – A worrying sight for Leo Cullen and Leinster as James Ryan removes his scrum cap and heads off down the tunnel – more on that as we have it. Jason Jenkins is on in his place.
Leinster 23-7 La Rochelle (Byrne, 31′)
From just outside the 22, and a few foot to the right of the uprights, Byrne converts.
That Ryan-Jenkins change is confirmed as a temporary sub for a HIA. Ryan came off the worse from a collision with Will Skelton’s hip, and needs to be assessed.
33 mins – More La Rochelle indiscipline as Pierre Bourgarit is pinged for an infraction in the maul. That’s the sixth penalty they’ve conceded so far, versus just two for Leinster.
Leinster relieve the pressure and kick the penalty into the La Rochelle half.
34 mins – Brilliant turnover penalty from Botia. Doris takes into contact but the jackal from Botia is textbook. La Rochelle kick it to the Leinster 22, but a few phases later, knock it forward. Leinster clear.
36 mins -- What a chance for La Rochelle! A scrappy phase of play allows Boudehent to hack the ball ahead of him not once but twice, but the line comes too quickly for him and just as he thinks about diving on it, Hugo Keenan beats him to it and touches it down in goal for a dropout.
Leinster 23-14 La Rochelle (Seuteni, 38′)
HUGE score for La Rochelle just before half time, and it’s UJ Seuteni who scores it.
Brilliant hands from Will Skelton, who finds Lleyds on the wing with a lovely offload. He’s stopped short and La Rochelle work it back in field with big carries from Alldritt and Wardi, before Seuteni spots his gap and runs it in for La Rochelle’s second try.
It’s an easy conversion for Hastoy, and having been 17 points up after that electric opening 12 minutes, Leinster’s lead at the break is whittled back to nine.
Leinster 23-14 La Rochelle
As the teams head down the tunnel, it’s confirmed that James Ryan will not be returning following his HIA, which is another blow for Leinster.
Back in five. What a half of rugby that has been.
While we catch our breath, here’s another look at that electric Leinster start:
That was quick!
— RTÉ Rugby (@RTErugby) May 20, 2023
Dan Sheehan and Jack Conan play a sneaky one-two at the lineout and it's a try within a minute for Leinster
Ross Byrne make it 7-0 #LEIvSR
📺https://t.co/CStwnXf2cB
📻https://t.co/wUq1XxhF4x
📱https://t.co/u8hlQ5KtpQ pic.twitter.com/mJ8IQl3PWR
We’re back underway with La Rochelle attacking the Aviva Stadium’s South Stand in this second half. Hastoy kicks it into the Leinster 22, and Leinster clear it right back down into the La Rochelle half.
42 mins – La Rochelle’s forwards try to eke some yards in midfield. Hastoy then kicks over the top, but Lowe claims in the air with authority.
43 mins – Penalty for La Rochelle as Ross Molony is pinged inside his own 22. That came off the back of a magnificent break by Seuteni, who juggled the ball before regathering it and carved through the Leinster line. Gibson-Park does just enough to bring him down at the second time of asking, but Leinster are pinged at the breakdown.
Leinster 23-17 La Rochelle (Hastoy, 44′)
Hastoy knocks over the penalty – it’s a six-point game, but that could have been even worse for Leinster.
45 mins – A chance for Leinster to respond immediately – La Rochelle not driving straight in the scrum – and Leinster point to the posts.
Leinster 26-17 La Rochelle (Byrne, 47′)
Byrne converts from the 22, cancels out that La Rochelle score, and makes it a two-score game once again.
48 mins – Bad mistake by Gibson-Park from the restart. Jaco Peyper is clear that Leinster have taken the ball back inside the 22, but Gibson-Park kicks it out on the full nonetheless. Great field position now for La Rochelle; can they make it count?
49 mins – Crunching hit as Botia thunders into Sheehan, but Robbie Henshaw is pinged for hands in the ruck, and this should be straightforward for Hastoy.
Leinster 26-20 La Rochelle (Hastoy, 49′)
And it is. La Rochelle are back within six again.
51 mins – Huge pressure by La Rochelle and it nearly pays dividends. Off the back of a Leinster lineout, Byrne’s kick is charged down by Kerr-Barlow, and Sazy just knocks it on as he tries to pounce on the loose ball.
52 mins – Dan Sheehan! Super turnover! It was Danty with the big carry inside the Leinster 22, but Conan brings him to ground and Sheehan is in precisely the right position to clamp down on the ball and strip it clear.
54 mins – Hastoy tries a little dink over the top in a bid to unlock the Leinster defence, but Henshaw gets there quickest. Byrne clears it long, Hastoy returns it with interest, and Keenan soars highest to win it in the air as the La Rochelle out-half chases to contest.
55 mins – And now a mistake by Lowe, who kicks it out on the full. La Rochelle have it inside the Leinster 22.
56 mins – Ripped in the tackle! Van der Flier gets hands on the ball as Aldritt tries to get to ground, and the ball pops loose. Lowe has a chance to clear but it skews off the outside of his boot.
There are bodies everywhere, so we’re going to have a short — very necessary — break in play here.
56 mins – Time on, and we resume with a La Rochelle lineout just outside the Leinster 22.
57 mins – Huge moment for Leinster! La Rochelle have their driving maul set and powering forward with intent, well inside the 22, but they can’t get the ball back, and Jaco Peyper whistles — held up by Andrew Porter, and it’ll be a Leinster scrum.
59 mins – Gibson-Park under huge pressure at the back of the scrum. Kerr-Barlow brings him to ground, and Botia is looking to pounce for the turnover, but Peyper warns him off.
59 mins – Oooh. Knock on by Danty as La Rochelle looked to move it wide and really stretch the Leinster defence.
61 mins – Garry Ringrose comes up with the turnover in midfield; Byrne kicks it the length of the pitch; Dulin is happy to find touch in response.
62 mins – This has been non-stop from the very first minute, rugby of the highest quality, and as we enter the final quarter, it’s still right in the balance. If you’re not at TV, get yourself to one now.
62 mins – Rhule is under a high ball but spills it as he comes down under pressure; Peyper has his hand in the air for a La Rochelle penalty, pinging Jimmy O’Brien for contact in the air as he jumped to contest.
64 mins – La Rochelle are asking serious questions of Leinster here, with wave after wave of possession in Leinster territory — but dogged Leinster defence, and small handling errors, are keeping them at bay. Charlie Ngatai makes a nuisance of himself as Skelton tries to get the ball back on his side, and it squirts free.
65 mins – La Rochelle come again, but their maul splinters - Georges Henri Colombe leads Pierre Bourgarit right in front of Peyper, and it’s clear truck and trailer. Scrum Leinster.
67 mins — Huge shove from La Rochelle at the scrum. They have it back.
68 mins – Penalty coming for La Rochelle – Leinster hands in the ruck. Kerr-Barlow makes a break for it while the advantage is being played, but we’re going back for the penalty.
69 mins – La Rochelle kick it to the corner!
69 mins – Another La Rochelle penalty for Leinster collapsing the maul.
Back to the corner again.
70 mins – Playing advantage to La Rochelle…
They’re feet from the line
Held up… but it’ll be back for the La Rochelle penalty… and Jaco Peyper has a word with Garry Ringrose to let him know that needs to be the end of it.
71 mins – Advantage being played again…
Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle (Colombe, 72′)
What a massive, massive moment – and could that be the winning of the game for La Rochelle?
With advantage being played, and a yellow card imminent, Georges Henri Colombe burrows over despite Michael Ala’alatoa. It’s hard to see the grounding but Peyper is happy.
Hastoy converts and La Rochelle lead by one with eight minutes to play.
Yellow card for Ronan Kelleher
Leinster will finish the game with 14 men.
75 mins – Penalty for Leinster… it’s a high tackle by Jonathan Danty on Caelan Doris… and Peyper is having a look with the assistance of the TMO.
Yellow card for Jonathan Danty
It’s a clear shoulder to the head, but Peyper deems it ‘indirect’. Danty is shown yellow and we’ll finish this with 14 against 14.
75 mins – Byrne kicks it into the La Rochelle 22. Van der Flier to throw.
Big carry by Doris, and van der Flier, and Porter, and Ala’alatoa. Leinster well inside the 22.
Ala’alatoa again, and Porter…
Leinster go wide to Ngatai. A couple of feet short.
Molony picks from the back – to Jenkins. Ala’alatoa then picks and goes. As does Porter. La Rochelle hold firm. Still only a foot or two short.
78 mins – Gibson-Park passes to Ringrose, who slips, and it’s lost forward.
La Rochelle clear, but Leinster run it right back at them.
Gibson-Park spreads it left to Doris. Molony carries. Van der Flier has a go. Keenan thinks he sees a gap.
78:15 - Play stopped. Georges Henri Colombe is down with a head injury and needs immediate attention.
The medics are tending to Colombe, and hopefully it is nothing too serious.
Red card for Michael Ala’alatoa
We’re just seeing a replay of the incident involving Colombe, and Michael Ala’alatoa is in big trouble here. He cleared Colombe out with a shoulder to the head – “high level of danger, no mitigation,” says Peyper, and it’s a cut and dry red card.
Georges Henri Colombe is leaving on a stretcher, which is a worrying sight. Hopefully there will be a positive update soon.
79 mins – The game had been due to restart with a Leinster scrum but the penalty against Ala’alatoa means that it’s a La Rochelle penalty which they kick to touch.
79 mins – Van der Flier is on the wrong side of the maul, and it’s another penalty. That is likely to be that for Leinster.
Leinster 26-27 La Rochelle
All over! La Rochelle are back-to-back Champions Cup winner!
Pure heartbreak for Leinster.
Where do you even start in trying to sum that one up?
It’s an absolutely stunning comeback by La Rochelle having been 17-0 down after 12 minutes.
They’ve responded by outscoring Leinster 27-9 from that point on — including 13-6 in the second half when the game was in the balance.
Gregory Aldritt is named Heineken Star of the Match. Very hard to argue with that.
“Unbelievably disappointed,” says Josh van der Flier. “Heartbreaking.”
Here is Murray Kinsella’s on-the-whistle match report from the Aviva Stadium:
12 MINUTES IN, surely no one would have bet against Leinster seeing this out and sealing their fifth Champions Cup title. Well, no one except Ronan O’Gara and his champion La Rochelle team.
They were shredded in the opening stanza and Leinster had a scarcely believable 17-0 lead that early in the game. It looked like it was going to be their day after a blitz of precision, a flurry of pure rugby.
But we know that this La Rochelle team never gives up. They won last season’s final against Leinster in the dying minutes and today, they only led for the first time in the 73rd minute. They had to deliver an immense defensive grandstand in the closing stages here, but they clung on to break Leinster’s hearts for the second year in a row.
That’s all that we have time for here, but stay with us on The 42 for lots more reaction and analysis over the course of the evening.
Thanks for reading.
