IT SOUNDS LIKE Tunnelgate didn’t last very long but even the supposed flurry of insults at half time at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday was an illustration that this is now an intense rivalry.
La Rochelle are the bosses of the relationship, having won all three of their meetings with Leinster over the past three seasons, two of them in finals. That’s what hurts most for the Irish province; that they have been unable to get across the line against Ronan O’Gara’s side. Even with a 17-0 lead after just 12 minutes on Saturday, Leinster came up short.
It’s increasingly clear that there is little love lost between the clubs and the half-time altercation shows as much.
Leinster made a formal complaint to EPCR about O’Gara speaking to referee Wayne Barnes at the interval of last season’s final in Marseille, and it seems they were keen to prevent anything similar from happening in Dublin this time around.
It’s understood that at half time on Saturday, O’Gara made tracks toward the match officials’ changing room, which was across the main tunnel from La Rochelle’s area and alongside the Leinster dressing room, but he was cut off by Leinster contact skills coach Sean O’Brien, his former Ireland team-mate.
Injured Leinster captain Johnny Sexton is also said to have become involved, as well as at least one La Rochelle player, while it has even been suggested that La Rochelle chairman Vincent Merling was in the vicinity. A few choice words were exchanged but it’s believed the argument ended swiftly as the parties headed back to their changing rooms.
Whether it had any impact on what followed in the second half is unlikely, but this kind of kerfuffle doesn’t happen every weekend.
As tournament organisers EPCR indicated on Saturday, they will review the alleged incident but it’s not expected that much will come of it. What could be of more concern is the suggestion that Sexton criticised referee Peyper after the game near the match officials’ room. Any follow-up in that regard would probably depend on the South African referee making a complaint in his report, which again seems unlikely at this point.
The fall-out continued in the post-match press conference as La Rochelle captain Grégory Alldritt claimed that Leinster counterpart James Ryan had disrespected him by not making eye contact as they shook hands at the pre-match coin toss.
It was a surprising claim that seemed to be disproven by photos of the handshake, including apparent eye contact, and Leinster dismissed Alldritt’s suggestion completely. They also rejected the suggestion that Alldritt, who seemingly arrived for the coin toss slightly early, had been kept waiting. Leinster say Ryan was exactly on time.
Still, Alldritt and La Rochelle clearly used the perceived slight as motivation, with the captain reporting back to O’Gara before the match.
Speaking at the press conference, O’Gara backed Alldritt up and intimated that La Rochelle had felt a lack of respect over the course of the build-up. O’Gara suggested the Top 14 side had been viewed “as the little team” with preferential treatment given to Leinster in regard to post-match function space at the Aviva Stadium. The reality is that Leinster had their post-match function at the RDS.
This was all insight into how La Rochelle have created an ‘us against the world’ mentality under O’Gara. It’s a classic approach. Anyone who has watched ‘The Last Dance’ knows all about how Michael Jordan constantly created chips on his shoulder by framing things as slights against him or the Chicago Bulls even when they were nothing of the sort. Some great competitors always find a way of giving themselves something to rage against.
And there’s no doubt that La Rochelle took pleasure from not only retaining their Champions Cup crown but also from denying Leinster once again, this time on Dublin soil. Leinster players might get flashbacks of the French team’s chants echoing across the tunnel for a while.
Last week, footage emerged of O’Gara speaking to his La Rochelle players before last season’s final against Leinster.
“I know the Irish, don’t f**king respect them, it’s an act,” said O’Gara. It sounds like it didn’t go down all that well in Leinster quarters, although this is the kind of stuff coaches and players regularly say before big games.
It remains to be seen how long we have to wait for part four of this epic rivalry. Leinster will surely never be as motivated as the next time they get to take on La Rochelle, but O’Gara and co. clearly believe they have a mental edge and will lean on that again.
Given that these teams were so clearly the two best in the Champions Cup this season, it’s not impossible to imagine them meeting in the decider at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium next year, although their paths could cross earlier.
And while the stuff that happens on the pitch is what really counts, the off-field drama certainly accentuates things. It might not be for some people, but there’s no doubt that rivalries like this one make it more interesting for most of us. Bring on round four of La Rochelle v Leinster.
